Islands in the Stream
by InnitMarvelous
Summary: While still recovering and healing from what almost happened in "I will see your nation cast down", Tony and Pepper decide that they need to get away from the world, and just be with the people they love most. This is Part 2 of my Nation series (direct sequel to I will see your nation cast down) and Part 7 of Greatest Reward!
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Here is the second story of my Nation series. If you go over to my AO3 account you can see the cover art I made for this story.

Please note, the story will for a little while, switch back and forth between two time periods. I will do my best to mark them when they happen.

* * *

"Hello, Dr. Banner," JARVIS said as soon as the elevator doors swished closed. "Welcome back."

Setting down his bag, Bruce smiled, "Thanks, JARVIS." He leaned against the wall, tired, and more than a little nervous as he asked, "Are Tony and Pepper home?"

"No, Dr. Banner, they are currently away on holiday."

"Oh." Tony had just gotten back from living under a death sentence in federal prison, so of course they were away right now. Tony had a lot of time to make up for with his family. "Besides why would he want to see someone who is too much of a coward to stick around when he needed all of the friends he could get?"

"I beg your pardon?" JARVIS asked.

"Oh, nothing," the man replied. "Say, JARVIS, what about everyone else? I guess I could stop by the common floor and-"

"The rest of the Avengers and their family are not currently present in the tower either, Dr. Banner."

"So where are they at?"

"Sir and Mrs. Stark invited them to join them on their island earlier this week, and that is their current location."

 _Yeah, I guess that makes sense since they were all here and helped to save Tony's life,_ he thought to himself, and then asked aloud, "JARVIS, is anyone here at the tower right now?"

"Mr. Hogan is currently on his floor of residence. Shall I alert him that you are here and wish to see him?"

Bruce exited the elevator, stopping only long enough for his apartment's door to unlock, "No, JARVIS, that's okay. Not sure I'm up for any company anyway. Thanks, anyway."

"You are welcome, Dr. Banner."

Once inside, he dropped his bag on the floor and immediately when over to flop on the couch. "Hey, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Are things set up to where I can still check my emails through the TV?"

"But of course, Doctor."

"Turn the TV on would you and pull up the menu screen."

"Certainly, Doctor."

The TV screen came to life and was on the screen Bruce had requested. He picked up the remote and began skimming through the subject line headers. After a few minutes of not seeing anything even remotely worth his while, Bruce turned the TV off, and threw the remote back on the coffee table. Leaning back on the couch, he closed his eyes, deciding that a nap was in order before he made plans for whatever he was going to do next.

Bruce had just started to doze when he thought he heard Tony's voice. His eyes snapped open to see the video image of one of the most maddening yet endearing people he'd ever known preparing to speak further.

"Hey, Banner, in case you completely failed to notice the note I left you on the fridge, I made this recording and asked JARVIS to play it for you if it seemed like you weren't going to notice for a while," Tony on the video said.

Curious as to the note the other man in the video was on about, Bruce pulled his tired body off of the couch and started towards the kitchen.

"Ha, made you look!"

Bruce turn around and glared at the TV screen, muttering as though he could be heard, "Tony, I swear one of these days…" But he was also smiling because this was just the way Tony was with him.

The way he had _always_ been with him, since the moment they'd met on the helicarrier.

"Seriously I was going to write you a note but well I _hate_ writing anything down so I made this video message instead."

"Gonna get to the point anytime soon, Tony?"

"I bet you're thinking I'm never going to get to the point…"

Bruce rolled his eyes, "Yeah the thought had occurred!"

There was still a smile on Tony's face but he grew a bit more serious when he began, "Anyway, I left you this _note_ ," the billionaire made air quotes with his hands, "because there is a chance you'll show up while we're all away from the tower and by we I mean the rest of the team too. After everything that's happened, Pepper and I thought that all of us getting away for awhile was a good idea, so we decided to spend a few weeks on our our private island. Well, Pepper, me and the kids will spent the first week or so by ourselves. But just a week or so by ourselves because we also decided that we wanted to spend Thanksgiving with the family aka the team if you hadn't figured that out already."

He paused for breath, "And Bruce, if you come back home before Thanksgiving while we're all still there, I want you to come up too. I know you're probably kicking yourself, _blaming_ yourself for having to leave like that, but what you need to know is that I don't blame you. I know you did what you had to do and I won't ever hold it against you. I still consider you to be my science bro, my partner in crime in the lab, and I'd like to see you as soon as possible. So come on up. JARVIS and Happy will help you get here if you decide you want to come."

"JARVIS?" Bruce said after the screen went black.

"Yes, Dr. Banner?"

"I think I want to go."

"Very good, Doctor. Shall I apprise Mr. Hogan that you are here and that you wish to go to Starks' private island?"

Bruce shook his head then said aloud, "Yeah, you can tell him that I'm here and want to go but also tell him that I don't want to leave for the island today. I'm a bit tired and I want a good night's sleep before heading on up there."

"I understand, Doctor," the Ai responded, adding after a moment of silence, "Mr. Hogan wishes to know if you need anything?"

"Tell him, thanks but no I don't," Bruce answered, then flopped back down on the couch.

A minute JARVIS said, "Forgive the intrusion, Doctor Banner, but Mr. Hogan wishes to know if you're and I quote _alright for dinner_ unquote?"

"Not really hungry right now, and I thought that if I do get hungry later on, that I'd order something in. Why?"

"Mr. Hogan wishes to tell me the reason he inquired is because one of his niece's dropped off a and I quote again _spread of homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings_ unquote. He asked me to inform you that she brought over entirely more than he can possibly eat and would be happy to share the food with you."

Bruce thought about it for a second then said, "Tell him I said thanks, JARVIS, but I'm really tired, and I really just want to rest tonight."

A moment of silence hung over the air as the AI relayed his message. "Mr. Hogan says _Alright, Doc._ and said to tell you to let him know via by me that if you have need of anything tonight."

"Tell him I said thank you and I will."

"He said _No prob_ , Doc," and wishes you a good night, Doctor Banner."

"Thanks, and the same to him."

* * *

 **Two weeks earlier**

"Okay, kiddies, you've got forty-five more minutes to swim and play in the pool, then it's time to get out," Tony said before swimming over to the steps and exiting the pool himself.

"Awww, Daddy!" complained the two little voices in unison.

"Ah, none of that now," Pepper said, while Tony dried off, "Daddy just said you've got forty-five minutes and he meant it. Forty-five minutes, guys, not a minute longer." She waited to see if they'd say anything back then turned to look at her husband who had just seated himself in the chair beside her.

Half keeping an eye on their kids, and half looking at his wife, Tony began talking in a low voice, "So, with the way things are on the outside right now, I've been thinking maybe the four of us need to get away for awhile."

Pepper nodded, "I think that would be a good idea." Before they had went to bed last night, Tony had told her about the crowd outside the tower Happy had told him about, and she could tell by the way the man was frowning earlier this morning, it was only getting bigger, "I mean since we can't even take the kids to the park right now! But if we can find a way to get out of here and to the airport without there being trouble, I guess we could go stay in California awhile."

"I wasn't thinking about Malibu."

"There where? Not Europe?"

"Nope."

"Asia?"

"Nope again."

"Australia? New Zealand?"

"As much as I know the kids would like to see kangaroos and koalas live in person and as much as I'd like to take them on hobbit hunting expedition, it's a no no again."

"Then where-"

"Daddy, Eta keeps grabbing my feet underwwwwwwaterrrrr!"

As they both turned to look in their kids' direction, Pepper was smirking as Tony opened his mouth to respond to her.

"Remember, you're the one who taught him how to do that," she muttered.

Her husband's mouth closed for a second, then reopened just as their son came up for air, "Ethan?"

The boy whipped around to look in their direction, "Yeah, Daddy?"

"Stop grabbing your sister's feet. Okay, buddy?"

"Oooookay," came the little boy's glum reply.

Keeping his eye on Ethan for a few seconds, Tony waited to see if he was going to leave his sister alone before turning back to his wife.

"So you want to know _where_ I have in mind?"

"Then where-"

"Daddy, Eta keeps grabbing my feet underwwwwwwaterrrrr!"

As they both turned to look in their kids' direction, Pepper was smirking as Tony opened his mouth to respond to her.

"Remember, you're the one who taught him how to do that," she muttered.

Her husband's mouth closed for a second, then reopened just as their son came up for air, "Ethan?"

The boy whipped around to look in their direction, "Yeah, Daddy?"

"Stop grabbing your sister's feet. Okay, buddy?"

"Oooookay," came the little boy's glum reply.

Keeping his eye on Ethan for a few seconds, Tony waited to see if he was going to leave his sister alone before turning back to his wife.

"So you want to know _where_ specifically I have in mind?"

"Okay, tell me where?"

"Dad's island."

His voice was, surprisingly or maybe not so surprisingly since he'd mentioned his father, quiet. But before she could say anything back to him, he cleared his throat.

"So, how does that sound?"

"Well, we'd certainly be alone," Pepper mused, "and after what we just went through, with you almost..." Her voice trailed off when she saw his eyes widen a bit before he nodded his head towards their kids, "Anyway I think it sounds wonderful. How soon do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow."

"But we can't!"

"Why not?"

"For one, all the packing we... rather _I_ would have to do tonight!"

"I'll help you, Pep."

"Uh huh."

"I promise!"

She eyed him for a second then said,"Okay assuming you do-"

"Hey!"

"Assuming you do, after we get the kids out of the pool and go upstairs, we'll pretty much have to get them in bed soon after we eat dinner... which we haven't decided on what it will be so it can't possibly be fixed yet!"

"JARVIS?"

"Dinner is already taken care of, Ma'am, and will be waiting for you when you when you return to the penthouse."

"What-""

"You'll like what's for dinner, honey. Trust me."

She gave a reluctant nod, "Okay. So, I guess you were sure I'd like the idea of leaving here for awhile, hmm? I mean you've already got dinner taken care of."

"Well, I was only a little sure you'd go for my idea."

"How little?"

"Oh, I was only about twelve percent sure," he quipped, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Pepper rolled her eyes at the reference, but was smiling at him, "You sure an argument can't be made for fifteen?"

"If you want. I'm happy to take the extra three percent."

Pepper glanced at the time, "It's almost time to get the kids out of the pool and head upstairs."

"So do you want to go?"

"I'd love to go… like so much. But to get everything packed in just a few hours…"

"And what would you say if I said we actually won't have to pack one thing?"

"Tony, what did you…"

"Oh, there just might be a whole new wardrobes suitable for island life waiting for the four of us already there, and completely ready to wear."

"You didn't."

"I did."

She thought about it for a moment, "Well, that takes care of packing except for toothbrushes and things like that. Unless, that's taken care of too?"

"Uh, it would probably be a good idea for us to grab that stuff but other than that, all we need to do is hop on a plane in the morning and head out. I mean JARVIS has even been in communications with BRUTUS, haven't you, J?"

"Yes, Sir."

Pepper bit back a laugh, as she could almost swear to it that she heard annoyance in the AI's voice. She probably did since she was pretty certain that JARVIS viewed BRUTUS as annoying little brother, especially with his unsophisticated accent and all.

"So you want to go, Pep?"

She looked into his eyes, nodding. "Yes, I want to go."

Tony gave a little fist pump, before with a smile he got up to walk over to the pool, "Okay, guys, time's up."

Ethan started towards the steps immediately but Eva kept swimming away. Fortunately her big brother intervened before either of them had to say anything to her.

"Hey, Evie, I'll race you to the steps!"

"Okay!"

"On your mark… get set… GO!"

Neither one of his parents failed to noticed the fact their son had challenged his sister to the race to keep her from getting into trouble. They had time to share a brief, knowing smile before Eva was the first to reach the pool's steps.

"Mommy! Did you see that? Eta and me raced and I won!"

With a quick knowing glance thrown towards her husband, Pepper stepped up to wrap an oversized towel around her daughter, "I saw, sweetie."

Tony also had a towel waiting for Ethan when he exited the pool, and wrapped it around the boy's shoulders, "Good job, champ!"

The little boy beamed under his father's praise and continued to dry himself off.

* * *

"Think we should tell everyone where we're going before we leave in the morning?" Pepper asked as she slipped into Tony's arms.

She was still having some difficulty believing this was reality in some ways because it was only like three nights ago she was sleeping in a bed not theirs in a house they didn't own and her husband was still locked away from her in a cold prison cell.

 _No_ , she reminded herself, _This is real! Tony is cleared, and you're laying up against him, feeling the warmth of his body against yours!_

"We can leave a message with JARVIS to give to the others at a set time tomorrow, or I guess we can stop by someone's floor to tell them we're going to be gone for, although I think leaving a message with J for them is the better idea since we're leaving so… Pepper, honey, are you okay?"

"Huh? Wh-what?"

"I asked if you're okay, honey?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay, Why?"

"You look like you're a million miles away, for one, and another I know it's dark in here and but you look a little pale."

"I'm okay."

"Pep… honey…"

"I am _really_. I guess I'm just…"

"Just what?"

"I think I'm just afraid that I'm going to wake up any second now and discover the last few days were just a dream, and that you're still really in prison." In response to what she said, she felt a sigh from him rather than hearing it.

"I know what you mean about thinking that I must still be dreaming because I keep think I will wake any minute, and I'll be back in my cell. But baby, it's not a dream. We've _both_ in _our_ home, and in _our_ bed, with arms and legs entangled around each other, with _our_ kids next door to us sound asleep in their beds. We're _all_ home again where we belong. Okay?"

"Okay."

"What brought that on?"

"What on?"

"What made you think that you might be dreaming all of this up?"

"I guess the reason I fear that I'm still dreaming is because right before and I mean _right_ before your lawyer called to tell me the courts had exonerated you, I dreamed he had called me to tell me the courts weren't convinced of your innocence by the evidence the Avengers gave the President."

"Oh, honey…."

"He said, in my dream, that if the President didn't intervene, they were going to execute you in a week!"

Tony heard the hitch in her breathing and knew she was crying, so he pulled her closer to him, "I'm here, baby, and I'm not going anywhere. It was just a very bad dream."

"I k-know it was. But it was one of the most real dreams I've ever had in my life," she said after a few minutes.

"The time is now 11pm."

"Eleven o'clock already? I guess we better get to sleep if we're going to get out of here early in the morning!"

"Yeah."

"Pepper, honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Need a tissue?"

"No, I can use your t-shirt if I need to wipe my nose."

"Use my t-shirt? No offense, honey, but isn't that guy level gross?"

Pepper let a few seconds pass, then she giggled, "Yes, that is _guy level gross_ , and I am only kidding! If you'd hand me a few tissues, I'd appreciate it." She felt him reach over to the nightstand and a few seconds later, a couple of Kleenexes appeared in front of her eyes, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. All good now?"

"Yes, all good now."

A minute or two of silence passed where the only sound in the room was both of their breathing or shifting around a little in the bed.

"Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to be there."

"Where, honey?"

"At the hearing… when Morgan and Hammer are both sentenced."

Tony yawned before responding, "I know. Remember though, neither one of them can get the death penalty. It's off the table."

She sighed, "I remember. I just want to see their faces when the judge tell them they'll never walk out of prison as free men for as long as they're still breathing. We have to be there for that."

"We will be, honey. Rooney says neither one of them will be sentenced until sometime next year. I think Rooney said it was either in February or March. Uh J, which one was it it?"

"March 6th, 2022, I believe is the date Mr. Rooney said the court designated for the sentencing of both Morgan Stark and Justin Hammer."

"Don't let us forget it or plan anything else around that time so we miss it, JARVIS."

"I won't, Ma'am, I assure."

"Thank you."

"It is my utmost pleasure, Ma'am."

Pepper smiled as her husband yawned again.

"Okay, let's get some shut then!"

"Alright. Goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight, my Pep, I love you."

"I love you too, Tony, so much that… I'm not sure I have the words to say just how much."

"I know what you mean. I feel the same way about you."

* * *

The next morning after getting the kids up, fed, and ready to go via helicopter to the airport, Tony and Pepper recorded a message for JARVIS to relay to everyone else while the kids listened to one of Uncle Happy's stories. Happy would go with them as far as the airport and then he'd be off on vacation for as long as they were out of town.

Once their joint message was recorded, Tony asked Pepper to give him just a few more minutes to record just one more message… down in the workshop.

"Hey, J, when Bruce left did he leave any indication as to where he was going?"

"No, Sir, he did not. Furthermore, because Dr. Banner waited until he had left Stark Tower to purchase his flight ticket, I cannot extrapolate his locate that way either."

"What about his known aliases?"

"I"m sorry, Sir, but it appears that Dr. Banner used an alias that was unknown to us."

"Hmm, sounds like Brucie boy doesn't want me or _anyone_ else to find him," Tony muttered.

"Shall I try SHIELD's records, Sir?"

Tony gave it some consideration then said, "Nah, if he went to this much trouble to disappear for awhile, then let's just let Banner be."

"Very well, Sir."

"I just hope that Bruce isn't somewhere so primitive where it'll take him _years_ for him to find out that I'm still alive!"

"Indeed, Sir."

"Well enough about our wandering biologist for the moment. Let's get finished up what needs to be finished up so I can get out of here before Pepper asks you what I'm doing." With that, Tony opened up the files he had come to his workshop to work on, and, spent the next forty minutes absorbed in schematics.

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted, "Mrs. Stark asked that I inform you that the helicopter has arrived , and that they're awaiting you return upstairs."

"Alright J, save and shut everything down."

"Yes, Sir."

As the lights in the room went into dim mode, Tony delayed his departure from the room only long enough to grab a communication tablet from a nearby workbench.

* * *

 **EN:** Sorry for the tiny bit of angst towards the end of this chapter. I promised there won't be much of it in this story and there won't be. This angst though did sneak up on me just a little but with them only being a literal few days past Tony sitting in prison on death row, you know he and Pepper are going to talk about it a little bit while they process everything from the last six months of their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** I know this might be a little too soon after Endgame but I promise you my goal is to keep this story as angst free as I can, and if there is any, it'll be related to past events of my verse.

* * *

"You look so beautiful in the morning sunlight here."

Pepper smiled but didn't turn back towards the bed. She had awakened about twenty minutes ago and had come over to the window to spend a little alone time. She had become aware that Tony was awake about five minutes ago when she heard a change in his breathing, and then felt his eyes were watching her. She let another minute pass before she quipped back, "Well, I guess we'll have to stay here forever, since the morning sunlight can pull off miracles."

There was a huff followed by a sputter followed by, "You know what I meant!"

She still had a smile on her face when she turned around, and said, "Oh, I do?" The same sunlight he said made her beautiful must have been preventing him from seeing the playful, amusement in her eyes, "I do? Because to me it sounded like you just said the morning sunlight somehow enhances how I look." She sounded so serious that she almost had herself convinced that she was being serious.

"No, that's not what I… what a second! Are you laughing?"

While she listened to him, Pepper had fought not to laugh but was slowly losing the battle. Her shoulder started shaking, and her vision was getting blurred from the tears of mirth forming there.

"You _are_ laughing at me, aren't you?"

Pepper finally lost it at his question and started laughing out loud. The volume of her laughter only became louder when she looked over and saw him give her a puzzled look. Her laughter only began to falter when he huffed suddenly, and turned over in the bed so that his back was now facing her. She thought he was only putting on an act of being upset with her laughing, so she didn't immediately stop laughing. When he didn't turn over or look at her again, she became concerned that she really _had_ upset him, and quickly walked back over to their bed.

"Tony?" she said a bit timidly, leaning over him, becoming even more concerned when she saw his eyes were closed, "Tony?"

He moved in a flash, reaching out to grab her by her wrists and then he pulled on her arms until she toppled over into the bed. Pepper shrieked as she hit the bed. He pounced on her, and started to tickle her sides. Of course from the second he started tickling her, Pepper was shrieking again, but this time it was along with uproarious laughter.

The more he tickled, the more she laughed, and the more she thought about how the sound of her laughter was going to wake up their kids if she hadn't already. But the thought remained in her head as she couldn't get enough breath to say the word _stop_ muchless point out they were being too loud! Sure enough a few seconds later they heard a little, sleepy voice.

"Mommy, what's going on?"

Tony thankfully ceased and desisted with the tickling, letting her go. Pepper partially sat up on her elbows, taking in several breaths before she could speak to answer the inquiry. It shouldn't have been a surprised to find both of their kids standing in the doorway of their room, not with as loud as she'd been laughing or not with as much noise they had been making, yet somehow it was.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy were just being a little bit silly!" At her son's skeptical look, she continued on, "Do you guys want some breakfast? Hmm?" Much to her husband's annoyance she was sure, she got out of bed again, and walked towards their children.

Eva was the one of them to answer her mother's question about breakfast, "Nuh uh… don't wan breakf'st. Sleepy!"

Ethan nodded his head in agreement with his sister.

"Okay, then why don't you both go get in bed with Daddy and sleep a little while longer while Mommy gets a shower then makes breakfast?" She didn't have to suggest it twice as both of the kids went over to the bed and crawled into it.

"Hey!" Eva protested, her voice just a little bit on the sullen side, "I wanna be next to Daddy!"

Although it was rare for siblings rivalry or jealousy to rear its ugly head with their kids, there were still moments when it happened, and when it did, they always tried to resolve it as quickly as possible in hopes of avoiding something happening that would cause hurt feelings. Of course this morning was no exception, and Tony nudged his son.

"Scoot over to Mommy's side, sport, and you come around over here, princess." Ethan gave what sounded like an annoyed huff but scooted over as he'd been told while Eva walked around to the other side of the bed. Once there, the little girl was helped into the bed by her Daddy, and soon the three of them were snuggling down underneath the covers.

Pepper had stayed long enough to watch to see how the situation would play out. Before she turned to go get her shower, her eyes met with Tony's and he winked at her before he closed his own eyes to catch a few more minutes of sleep with their little loves.

* * *

After waking them up again, they all had breakfast together outside at the small table on the porch. Then it would be time for playing on the beach, which suited Pepper fine because the days of play in the sun were helping Tony to get some coloring back after his time in prison. Plus the added bonus of watching him dig and make sand castles with Eva was too precious beyond words

Pepper played with the kids too, but she also tried to stay out of the sun as much as possible since she knew she would burn way too easily. She wore sunscreen of of course, industrial strength in fact, but it still would not stop her from getting a really bad sunburn if she didn't stay in the shade some time! As she watched Ethan running around the beach with his sister and Daddy, she was thankful that both of her kids seemed to have inherited Tony's tendency to tan instead of getting burned.

 _It must be the Italian heritage from his mother_ , she thought, watching now as it appeared as both their kids piled warm sand onto her husband prone form. She let them work at piling the sand on a while without any comment but decided once they had him mostly buried, it'd be a good idea to put some kind of shade over her husband's head. She opened an umbrella smaller than the one she'd been taking shelter under and walked over to where by now only Tony's head was sticking out of the sand.

He looked up at her when he was suddenly in the shade instead of the sun, and smiled, "Thanks, honey."

Pepper had been about to respond, when a little voice spoke up first.

"Shhh, Daddy!" Eva said, putting her little hand on his lips.

Her parents exchanged a puzzled look with each other then Tony turned his head so her hand wasn't over his mouth any more, and asked, "What was that, princess?"

The little girl responded by using both of her hands to cover her Daddy's mouth, "Shhh, Daddy! You not s'posed to talk!"

"Why not, sweetie?" Pepper asked, looking at her husband again, "Why isn't Daddy supposed to be talking?"

Eva tilted her little head up in her mother's direction, "Coz!"

" _'Coz'_ why, cutie pie?" Tony asked from behind her hands.

The little girl gave him an outraged look, and both of her parents might have laughed if it wasn't for the fact she also answered his question with, "Coz you dead, Daddy!"

The smile immediately vanished from her mother's face, and Pepper was pale as she choked out, "W-what was that? What did you s-say?"

Of course Eva didn't notice that what she had said so innocently had upset her mother and had her father wanting to get out from underneath the sand.

"Baby-" Tony started, seeing how upset his wife was getting.

"Quiet, Daddy! No talking! You dead!"

Tony watched his wife as their little girl continued to insist he was dead. He watched her turned white as a sheet for several seconds over their daughter's choice of words. He decided it was time for this game to be at an end before his little girl found herself in trouble with her mother.

He sat up, and as he expected Eva immediately reacted the way he had though she would.

The little girl put her hand on his shoulder and tried to push him back towards the sand, "Daddy-"

Tony grabbed her hands in his, "Let me just stop you right there, kiddo. You're about to get into a whole lot of trouble with Mommy. You need to please stop saying Daddy's dead, okay?"

"But she's just playing!" Ethan exclaimed, giving both his parents a look that said he didn't understand what the issue was but he was getting indignant on his sister's behalf just the same.

"We know, buddy. We know your sister isn't trying to upset Mommy but she should do what Mommy has asked her to do and stop saying what she's been saying."

"But-" Two little voices said in unison.

He put a finger on his lips, "Shhh, _both_ of you." His son was clearly going to say something else that continued the subject so he added, "I mean it, Ethan. Drop it, _now_."

It was obvious the little boy wasn't happy about having to let go of the matter, but he did finally, swallow whatever words he'd been about to say. He returned to digging in the sand while his parents exchanged a relieved look with each other. They were here on the island to have time together as a family and the last thing either one of them wanted to do would be to enforce a consequence for one or both of their kids for being defiant.

"Okay, I think it's getting close to lunch time. Let's start getting the sand cleaned off before we go back inside," Pepper told them after a moment of silence.

"Awwww, Mommy!" one little voice, Eva's, complained.

"None of that, princess. You need to do what Mommy say without anymore whining. Okay?"

The little girl looked at her Daddy after he finished speaking, and seemed to decide she didn't want to test him because she started brushing the sand off of herself.

"Thank you."

* * *

After lunch, Tony and the kids got into a _game_ of bocce ball. Well it was almost a game as he spent most of their time trying to teach the kids the rules and how to play the game. After they'd been _playing_ for almost an hour, Tony looked over to his wife, "Hey honey, I'm really thirsty. Would you mind bringing out some lemonade for all of us?"

She was quite thirsty herself, she so readily nodded, "That sounds really good, actually. I'll go make us some glasses."

"Thanks, honey. Okay, kids, let's go see how the hammocks feel!"

Pepper came back out onto the porch a few minutes later with a tray of lemonade glasses in her hands. She stopped for a moment to look around then started towards the hammock where all had fallen silent while she went inside the bungalow. When she reached the area, she set the tray down on one of the nearby lounge chairs, and tipped toed over to the hammock.

Tony laid in the center of the hammock with his eyes closed. Ethan laid on his left side with his arm wrapped around his daddy, his head pillowed by Tony's shoulder. Eva was on Tony's right, her little arm wrapped around her daddy as far as it would go, her little head resting almost on her Daddy's chest. Both were snuggled tightly against him, being held by the man who loved them both the most. Wrapped in the security of his loving arms they, along with him, had all three fallen fast asleep.

Pepper watched them for a moment, smiling and wiping away tears, thinking about what had nearly happened a month ago. Once again a flood of gratitude that Tony was alive and still with them flooded her being. She truly did not have any idea how she would have explained his death to their children if the Avengers had not come through with an eleventh hour save.

Pepper went back into the house to grab her camera and as she walked back outside she made sure the flash was off. Although the natural lighting should be just bright enough, she mentally crossed her fingers just in case. She wanted so much to get the perfect picture of them snuggled together, asleep. She got as close to them as she dared, moved herself and the camera around, until everything was just right, then pressed the button. A few seconds later, Pepper looked at the camera screen, and smiled as she saw her effort had resulted in a perfect, priceless picture.

Satisfied, she walked a few feet away from her slumbering loves, back towards the bungalow where she quietly said, "BRUTUS?"

"Yes, Missus. Stark?" the AI immediately responded in the same quiet tone she was using.

"Do you know how long Tony and the kids have been asleep?"

"According to the bio-signs reading from the Boss's wrist watch, the Boss has been asleep for approximately for eight minutes. I would estimate that the kids fell asleep between five to ten minutes earlier than the Boss."

"Thanks, BRUTUS. Would you please vibrate Tony's watch when they've slept for an hour and no longer? And by they I mean the kids, not Tony."

She knew if they slept much longer than that, they wouldn't want to go to bed tonight, and they needed to get a good night's sleep tonight because tomorrow would be a busy day for them all. Tomorrow, their family would start arriving to join them on the island, and Pepper knew the kids would want plenty of energy so they could play with their cousins.

"Sure thing, Missus S."

With that settled, she returned to the lounge area, and laid down in one of the chairs. She thought about picking up the half read novel she had laying there on the table but decided watching the horizon would be more relaxing. She sipped on one of the glasses of lemonade she'd brought out, watched the clouds and the horizon, thinking back on the last week they'd spent here already.

* * *

Later in the night, after both kids were in asleep in their beds, their parents were outside snuggling together in the same hammock Tony had taken a nap in with the kids, stargazing among other things. Bur holding one another and enjoying the warmth of other is mainly what they did. After everything that had had had happened in the last seven months, after they were denied the ability to touch each other for most of those months, they needed to now make up for the time they lost but had been unable to, as of yet, been able to satiate that need.

They both doubted in their hearts they ever would reach that point.

The denial of physical touch had been one of the things that hurt more than almost anything else in the situation.

Only Tony's almost execution had left the both of them in more pain.

Speaking of which…

"Pep?" Tony began, unsure if she was still awake.

"Hmm?" she responded in a way that suggested she was half dozing, half awake.

He almost started not to say what he was thinking, knowing what he wanted to say would wake her up from the comfortable place she was in. But then, he knew what he was thinking _needed_ to be said.

"Honey, you know Eva was just playing and didn't mean anything bad when she kept saying I was supposed to be _dead_ , right?"

He heard her sigh.

"Yes, I know she didn't mean anything bad but… Tony, we _almost_ had to really bury you last month!"

While running a hand up and down her arm her reminded her of an important fact, "But honey, she _doesn't_ know about my almost ex… that I almost died. Neither of them do, and I hope we can keep it that way until they're both way older, and can hopefully understand it when we do tell them."

Pepper gave a humorless snort, "How can _they_ understand it when I _myself_ can't understand it?"

"That's why I said, hopefully, keyword there. But my point is, they _**don't**_ know what happened, and Eva didn't have a clue why what she was saying was upsetting you. She also didn't know you were on your way to blowing your stack either. You were too, weren't you?"

He felt the motion of a nod against him.

"Yeah," she muttered, "Yeah I was on my way to getting angry… to losing my temper with them. With both of them, I'm sorry have to say that, but I was oh very much closer than I want to admit to being." She huffed out a breath, "So thank you for intervening before it went any further."

"No problem… I just wish…"

"You just wish what?"

When he didn't answer her, Pepper brought her head up far enough to repeat her question.

Tony shook his head, sighing, "I just wish I didn't have to get so serious with them sometimes. I know I've been a Dad now for eight years but… but I really kinda _hate_ it when I'm forced to be, well, a grown up with them. I guess when I actually have to be their Father instead of just being their Daddy. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah… yeah I _do_ know what you mean because the times I've had to get super serious with them."

"Fortunate for us, though, they're both great kids."

" _Right_ now they are."

"What do you mean, right now?"

"Well, they haven't hit their teenage years yet. I don't know about you…" _Although I bet I can imagine._ "But when I hit those years, there were a few bumps."

"Ooo are you telling me you were a _wild_ thing during your teenage years, Mrs. Stark?"

"I'm not sure _wild thing_ describes my teenage years, but there were times I wasn't as respectful to my father as I should have been. I really regret it now because my Dad's health started to go down during the latter part of those years and then he died a few months after I turned twenty."

"Oh, honey… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. I've made peace with it as much as I can, and I know… I know…"

"You know your father always loved you?"

"Yes, I know he did. Even when I was being a brat to him."

Tony tried to lighten the mood by saying teasingly, "Huh… Miss Virginia Potts was bratty as a teenager. Imagine that! I can't!"

Pepper lightly smacked him, "You just better hope my bratty self doesn't return when Eva hits puberty because then you'll find out exactly what my Dad dealt with!"

"The time is now eleven P.M.," BRUTUS stated, interrupting any further conversation.

"What? Already?"

"'Fraid so, Boss."

"Well, we better get to bed soon," Pepper said before she started untangling her body from her husband's.

"Yeah, I guess so," Tony groused, reluctantly letting her leave his embrace.

"Sorry we invited company now?"

"No, of course not!"

She arched an eyebrow at him as he sat up in the hammock.

"Well okay, _yes_... a little but not in the way you're thinking."

"Then _how_ exactly?"

Tony didn't answer as he got to his feet, and then put his arm around her waist. They started back inside when he said, "I think more than anything, I am not looking forward to seeing Steve again. You've watched and known us long enough to know what our issues are with each other. I know it's way past time time for us to bury the hatchet. I have a feeling that while we're all here, there will probably be a day when he and I will go off somewhere, just the two of us, to make our peace with each other."

"I'm sure it will turn out fine, Tony."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do, and it'll be better than you think."

"I hope so because after what he did for us… for _me_ something has got to give between us. I want us all to be a family, Pep, a _real_ family. Like we should have been all along."

They had stopped just outside their house, and facing her husband, Pepper reached up to touch his face, "Have faith."

"Faith?"

"Mmmhmm… faith that everything is going to work out just fine. The way it is supposed to."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** It's been a few days since the Avengers arrived on the island, and all is well... except for one lonely heart on the island that Tony wants to see be happy.

Despite what I just said, all you'll find here is mild angst, I promise!

* * *

While taking a sip of his drink, the last of Tony's laugh died when he turned in the opposite direction, and saw the beautiful raven haired woman walking along the beach all by herself. There was quite some space between them, but even at this distance Tony could see the sadness on her face. He sighed, then jumped when two arms encircled his waist and his wife's face appeared on his shoulder.

"Hello, Mr. Stark," Pepper murmured in his ear.

"Hello, Mrs. Stark," he replied, and kissed her lips when she turned her head enough for him to do so.

The team, or the rest of their family as they now forever would be, had arrived on the island four days ago, and everyone seems to be settling in perfectly. It was wonderful to see and experience for a change. A change Pepper knew she could get used to just after a few days because although they'd lived under the same roof for years, the families rarely seem to get together except for rare occasions like one or two holidays and to celebrate birthdays.

The Avengers certainly didn't come together except for when there was a call for them to assemble to fight the newest bad guy or bad guys who thought they were strong enough to defeat Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The harmony they were displaying right now proves that they should have been doing things like this _years_ ago, and they would have too if the two men considered by the team to be their leaders would have had a _real_ conversation.

Yes, in the short time everyone else had been here, Tony and Steve finally had the conversation they hadn't been putting off just for days but for _years_. On the second morning after they arrived, they'd both reached a silent agreement to go off to another part of the island, just the two of them, to get everyone of their differences regarding each other out of their systems. It obviously hadn't been a fun or easy experience for either of them if the way they looked when they returned were anything to judge by. But it had been needed to do if they ever wanted to be the team, the _family_ that they always should have been from the second Fury brought them together.

Their kiss lasted a few seconds more, and then Pepper looked back in the direction he had been looking.

Betty had arrived the morning after the others, and although they'd all been doing her best to feel a part of their family, it was obvious she was feeling anything but the way they were trying for.

"I think we might have made a mistake, Pep," Tony said as his eyes followed the lonely woman. "I mean she's been talking with everyone and playing with the kids some but-"

"She's been trying not to be a third wheel and been staying mostly to herself," Pepper finished sadly.

"Yeah, she has." Tony watched her and shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I really thought he'd show up again after… it was all over. I thought he'd show, JARVIS would relay our invite to come here, and he'd show up with the rest of the team… or at least he'd get here around she sae time that she made it. Oh, Pep, I wanted it so badly to be a wonderful surprise for them both Because I know how much Bruce has missed her."

As they watched Betty turned towards the sea, and as she stared off at the horizon, wrapping her arms around herself as though giving herself a hug.

"She still loves him, you know?" Pepper murmured in his ear.

Tony nodded, "I know, and Bruce loves her… I don't think he **ever** stopped loving her... which is why I had hoped the big galoot would have enough sense to come back home by now."

"Well everyone is going to be here for several more days. Maybe there's a chance that Bruce will get here before then?"

"I hope so."

Pepper smiled, and kissed him, "Oh, what would the world think if they knew that, at heart, Iron Man was a big, soft romantic?"

Kissing her back, Tony said, "It's better if they didn't know. I have a reputation to maintain you know."

"Hmm, I know."

"Besides," he said, casting another glance in Betty's direction, "It is because I'm a big, soft romantic at heart or it is because I just want to see the people that I lo... care about being with all of the people that they love too for once?"

"I love you, Tony," His wife replied, her voice cracking with the depths of everything she felt for the amazing man she'd married.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Whatever reply he had been about to make was lost when their daughter came running up to them.

Suppressing a groan at the interruption, Tony smiled at Eva, and asked, "What is it, princess?"

"Sand castles, Daddy!"

"Okay, what about them, sweetpea?"

"I think you promised that you'd build some with Eva today," Pepper piped in to remind him.

"Huh, so I did," he replied, and handed her his drink as Eva grabbed his hand.

"Come on, Daddy!" the little girl squealed.

"Okay, baby, hold your seahorses! Daddy's coming!"

Pepper laughed at what he said, and at the sight of their tiny daughter dragging her husband down the beach.

Hours later after they had all finished eating dinner, the families spread out some blankets on the sand, all settling down together on the beach to make s'mores with their kids while they watched the sun dip into the Caribbean. Since she was the only on the island without a spouse or a family, Pepper invited Betty to come sit with them.

At first Betty had refused saying, "Thank you but I don't want to disturb your family time together." She was, of course, aware of the ordeal they'd just come through less than a month ago.

But Pepper would not let her off that easily, "You won't be disturbing us."

"Are you sure?"

Pepper nodded, "I'm sure." When the other woman hesitated again, she added, "Please, Dr. Ross-"

"Betty… please call me Betty, Mrs. Stark."

With another nod, Pepper said, "Only if you'll finally start calling me either Pepper or Ginny?" They had had this more than once since the scientist had arrived on the island, and she hoped that it would take this time.

"All right… Ginny, as I was saying, I don't want to disturb your family time and it's okay because I was actually thinking about calling it a night."

"Really?"

Betty nodded, "Yeah."

"But it's way too early for bed!" Pepper said, glancing towards the west, "I mean the sun hasn't even gone down yet!" She pointed to the ocean, "Do you really want to miss seeing that sight?"

The other woman shrugged, "What can I say? It's been a big day and I'm very tired." She yawned. "See? I am tired."

Her yawn had seemed very fake to Pepper, and they both knew it was something she had done for Pepper's benefit. But what could she do? Even if it was a fake yawn, Pepper knew that there was no way she could force Betty to accept her invitation.

So she instead she made a suggestion.

"Betty, I know that you said you were tired so why don't you come sit with us long enough to have one s'more? You do like s'mores, right?"

Betty smiled, "Yes, I love them actually."

"Okay, then, why don't you come and have just one with us then?"

"I, uh…"

"Please?"

Betty finally nodded her head, sighing, "Okay, I'll come have just one." She followed Pepper over to the blanket, and watched as she sat down beside her husband.

"Here you go," Ethan said, handing her a stick to roast her marshmallow on.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"You're welcome, Miss Betty," the boy replied as he finished skewering a marshmallow, and held it over the fire.

Pepper passed the bag of the white confectionary treats to her. She nodded her thanks as peals of laughter rang out from where Eva was sitting on the other side of her father. Betty looked over to see the little girl's face was covered with melted chocolate from the confectionary treat she held in her hands.

"Eva!" The little girl's mother said as she picked up a napkin and started to clean off the child's face.

"Mommy!" Eva whined pulling away from her mother.

"Oh, let her be, Pep!" Tony said when she tried again to clean their daughter up.

"But she's getting chocolate and marshmallow everywhere, Tony!"

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"Oh, honestly Tony! Do I really have to explain what's… TONY!"

Betty had been concentrating on making her s'more that she didn't know why the CEO of Stark Industries was suddenly laughing at her husband. She looked over at him to see Pepper shaking her head, and handing him a napkin. Tony's face was as covered exactly like his daughter's, and his grin was just as wide.

"Tony…" That was all Pepper could get out because she was laughing so hard.

"What?" Tony said, shrugging and taking another bite, "The messier it is, the better it is! Right, princess?"

"Right, Daddy!"

Pepper started laughing again, shaking her head as Ethan handed her the s'more that he had just made.

"Thank you, baby," she said as soon as she could breathe again.

Betty just smiled as she watched them, basking in their warmth as much as she was the fire.

Betty did indeed only stay long enough to eat one s'more, and then she said goodnight to everyone before walking off towards her bungalow. None of the families were able to stay long on the beach after the sun finished going down as one by one the kids all stretched out on the blankets, and fell asleep.

Tony and Pepper had stayed for a little while after all the others had carried their little ones off to bed, enjoying the beauty of the stars as they appeared in the sky, along with the fact they were together. In the end they were forced to make the decision it was time to go inside once a steady breeze began blowing up off of the ocean, chilling them both. Tony had carefully gathered his son up in his arms while Pepper scooped up Eva into hers.

"So BRUTUS, has everyone settled down for the night?" Tony asked as soon as he had left Ethan's room.

"Yeah, Boss, except there is one tiny thing," the AI responded.

"And what is that?" Tony asked, as Pepper emerged from Eva's room.

"Dr. Ross is awake and wishes to speak to you and the Missus ASAP."

They shared a look before Pepper said, "I wonder what she could want?"

"Well there's only one way to find out. BRUTUS, ask her if she'll meet with us out on the front porch."

"Will do, Boss."

They went outside, and sat down on the porch to await her arrival. While they were waiting, Pepper mused aloud, "I wonder what she wants to talk to us about? I hope it's not going to be what I think it might be."

"What do you think it might be?"

"I-" Her voice trailed off as she saw the woman they were talking about step onto the porch. Pointing to an empty nearby lounge chair, Pepper said,"Betty, hello! Come on over here and talk to us! Is there something wrong?"

Betty walked over to where they were sitting, and sat down on the edge of the offered seat, "Hi, I know it's getting late…"

It actually wasn't all that late but Pepper wasn't about to point that out, and she slightly nudged Tony to prevent him from pointing it too.

"But there's something I needed to tell you both."

Pepper had a sinking feeling in her stomach while Tony was the one who voiced the obvious question of "What is it?"

There was a sigh from Betty as she began, "Mr. Stark-"

"Tony," he corrected automatically, "'Mr. Stark' was my father, and I reserve being mistaken for him for people I do business with, not my friends."

The scientist nodded, then started again, "Tony… Ginny, I wanted to say thank you for your invitation to come here. The island is beautiful, and so peaceful, and I've enjoyed being here…"

They both sensed and waited for the _but_ they both knew was coming.

"But," she went on, "I've just remembered some things back at the university that I need to do, and… well if it can be arranged, I'd like to head back home tomorrow morning."

Tony decided to let his wife take the lead on this, and nodded to her.

She looked at Betty, "Uh, sure we can arrange for you to return home tomorrow if that's what you really want to do. That isn't a problem."

"Good thank you because it _is_ what I want to do. I need to get back home."

Pepper glanced at her husband again, then back to Betty, "Okay, we'll arrange for you to go back home tonight if that is what you want, but Thanksgiving is only four days away. Is it alright if I ask you what your plans are for that day?" They knew that Betty's father had died of a heart attack four months earlier. As far they knew or could tell, she had no other family she could spend the day.

Betty shrugged, "Other than probably working on my research that day, I have no special plans. It's just another day for me with my Dad gone." When she saw the sadness that came over their faces at the thought she'd be alone on a day for being with the people you love she added, "Oh, please don't worry about me. I appreciate your concern, but I have some friends I can spend Thanksgiving with if I want to be with someone that day."

"Are you sure that we can't talk you into staying for Thanksgiving?" Tony asked, saying the first thing he had said since the conversation had started.

She sighed, "No, I'm sorry I know you invited me because of my… past relationship with Bruce. And I really do appreciate the generosity it took for you to invite someone who is for all intents and purposes a stranger to your family. To be honest with you both, and I hope I don't offend you by saying this but I haven't been very comfortable here since I arrived."

It was Pepper's turn to sigh, "I think I've sensed that, and I'm sorry that you've been uncomfortable."

"I am too and believe me, it isn't because of anything that either of you or anyone else has said or done. I hope you can understand what I'm saying?"

Pepper nodded, "Yeah, I think we can understand."

Tony also nodded, and pulled what looked like a cell phone to Betty from his pocket, "I'm sorry that things didn't work out."

"So am I. I mean you've all be great to me but well I just need to get back home and attend to my life there."

Tony tapped a few things on the screen of the device in his hands, "What time did you want to leave tomorrow?"

Betty thought about a moment, "I'd like to get out of here first thing… maybe before anyone else wakes up. If you can... if that's possible to arrange?" She watched his fingers move over the screen.

"Done. The seaplane to take you to the nearby big island will be here at 7am sharp."

The scientist sighed again, "Thank you, Mr. Star- I mean Tony."

He nodded, "You're welcome."

"And thank you, both of you, for being so understanding."

"So much for that," Tony muttered dejectedly as she disappeared into the dark.

"I'm sorry, Tony. You tried."

"Yeah, I tried," he replied, wrapping his arm around her.

When Tony sighed for the umpteenth time that morning, Pepper wrapped an arm around his waist. She laid her head on his shoulder has he in turn wrapped his arm around her . They both continued to watch the woman on the dock as she waited for the seaplane to arrive.

"I'm sorry you're disappointed," she said quietly.

"You know I'm not so much disappointed for myself as I'm… as I am sad for them. Bruce… I really thought he would have come back by now. I mean come on, he left because I was arrested! He has to know by now that the team cleared my name. I mean someone has to have told him by now!"

"Not necessarily, since we don't know where in the world he went. You know how he is."

"Yeah, and since Banner tends to go to the farthest out of civilization places he can find…" Tony groaned, and shook his head, "Yeah, he's probably some place where they don't get much news from the outside world, if they _ever_ do!" He sighed again in sad frustration.

"You tried to do something that I think would have been wonderful for your friend." Pepper knew that he had grown close to Bruce in the years they'd know each other. She knew that he loved the quiet scientist nearly as much as he loved Rhodey or Happy.

"Too bad we'll never know that for sure now."

"Still, your heart was in the right place, Tony. The fact Bruce didn't come doesn't change that."

"I still wish he had come."

"I know."

At that moment, the seaplane appeared on the horizon. For the next few minutes not a word was said as they watched it approach, land on the water about a hundred feet out, then circle around to the deck.

"Is there supposed to be a co-pilot?" Tony asked as the plane finished pulling up.

Pepper smiled at his question, "You're the one who made the arrangements. You tell me."

Before he could give a response the door to the seaplane opened, and a familiar head popped out of it. They heard Betty gasp audibly, and her hands flying up to her mouth as she said, "Bruce?"

The surprise on Bruce's face would have been comical if it were for any other reason than the fact he was seeing the love of his life again. It didn't take him long to recover from his shock of seeing her on the dock, and he jumped down from the plane. He reached out towards her, and stopped before saying, "Betty? Is it really you?"

Betty answered by touching his cheek, nodding as she stared into his eyes, "Yes, it's really me."

"How are you-"

He never had the chance to finish that question as she kissed him with fierce tenderness and with desperation.

"YES!" Tony said grinning, pumping his fist into the air.

* * *

 **EN:** I hope one day I will be able to expand on Tony and Steve's conversation but that won't be today or anytime soon.


	4. Chapter 4

"It's been two days, Pep," Tony said, looking in the direction of the bungalow that Bruce and Betty had disappeared inside of on the day he had arrived, "Don't you think we should go check on them?" The families had gathered on the beach to share breakfast that morning.

Rolling her eyes, as this wasn't the first time she'd heard this mentioned this morning, Pepper handed her daughter back a piece of freshly sliced appleF before shaking her head. "No, I think we should continue to respect their privacy. We'll see them when they're ready to come out and join us."

"But it's been _two days_ , Pep!"

"Tony-"

"I know! We should send an invite for them to come have breakfast with us!"

She sighed, and shook her head, "Tony, no. Don't."

"But-"

"Remember how everyone gave us space and privacy after you got out of you know where a few weeks ago?"

Tony suddenly became somber at the mention of his recent imprisonment and release. He nodded, "Yes, I remember how everyone was then, and I remember how much I appreciated the space they gave us after I got back home."

"Well that's what we've been doing for Bruce and Betty by not disturbing their privacy right now. I mean I can imagine the way they're feeling... it's probably almost like Bruce just got out of prison too with the passing of Betty's father." Pepper didn't know every little bit of the details of Bruce's history with Thaddeus Ross but she did know enough to know that he was one of the main reasons Bruce had been in hiding for years.

He nodded, "Yeah, I guess they probably are feeling something similar since that man did everything he could to keep them apart."

"Tony, I know you consider Bruce to be a friend-"

"He's one of the best I've ever had!"

Pepper nodded thinking about the close friendship her husband shared with the soft-spoken scientist they had been talking about. "I know that he is, and I know how you always want what is best for your friends and try to do what makes them happy."

"Bruce deserves some happiness after all this time… and everything that he's been through."

"Yes, he does," Pepper agreed, thinking about Bruce was one of the kindest people she knew.

"I just hope that he realizes that this is his time… _their_ time, and he will do something about it."

"I hope he does too," she agreed, "But whether or not he does, that is up to him. You've done everything you can do to help him reach that realization. You've been a good friend to him but the chips are going to have to fall wherever they may now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. They're going to have to fall wherever they may," Tony conceded with a groan.

Pepper kissed him, "Bruce is smart. I think he knows that this may be his last chance to have something really special with Betty. You just need to trust him to be smart enough to take the chance. Okay?"

He nodded, sighed, and after a moment started to grin before he turned towards where Rhodey was sitting beside his youngest sister, and called out, "Hey, platypus, is there any chance we'll get to see Monica soon?"

Rhodey glanced down at twenty-seven month old nephew to find the little boy just starting to wake from the nap he'd been having in his uncle's arms. Although Alyssa had reassured him that the toddler would stay asleep if he raised his voice a little to talk others not close by, Rhodey still hadn't since he hadn't wanted to wake Eric up. But now that he was starting to wake up he called back, "Her, Colton, and Frank should be here by late this afternoon or early tomorrow morning at the latest!"

His girlfriend been delayed in coming to the island because of a project that she, as the head of the SI biophysics, had felt like she needed to be on hand to see the completion of it through. They had been working on it for most of the year, and Rhodey knew they'd finished it the day before to great success from what Monica had told him in her phone call. He knew they would have hopped on the flight here that very day if she hadn't been too tired to deal with traveling to the island.

His best and dearest friend had opened his mouth to say something in reply to that when a hand clamped firmly over it. Rhodey was curious about what Tony had been about to say, but not _that_ curious, given Tony also had an expression on his face that Rhodey was all too familiar with. If Pepper hadn't stopped her husband from speaking, first with her hand, then by kissing him when Tony began to protest, Rhodey knows that whatever his friend had been about to saying would have either been sarcastic or suggestive. Judging the look the billionaire had had on his face from the thirty-three years of experience he had of knowing Tony Stark, Rhodey knew it would have been the latter instead of the former.

Shaking his head as the kiss between Pepper and Tony continued, Rhodey looked back at his sister, picking up where their conversation had been interrupted, while in his arms his nephew started wiggling to get down.

* * *

Sam spiked the ball.

Clint dived into the sand, _trying_ to keep it from hitting the ground.

Spitting the sputtering the grit out before he wiped the outer part of his mouth free of sand, Hawkeye pointed a finger at his fellow _bird man_ on the team, and said as seriously as he possibly could, "Oh you are going down for that, Falcon!"

Sam laughed, "Bring it on, Barton! Bring it on!"

Clint glared at him for two more seconds and then bust out laughing too. The two men exchanged handshakes at the net, still laughing.

"Hey, Featherbrain!" Tony said as he came between the two of them and swatted at their hands. He gave Clint who was still laughing a glare, before he said, "You do know that you're on Team Iron Man and not Team Captain America right?"

The archer rolled his eyes, "Well, Stark, considering just how badly we're getting our a-"

"Language!" Steve said, nodding his head in the direction where their wives and children sat watching the game as spectators.

"... tails kicked by Team Cap, I think it's a little hard to forget!"

"We are _not_ getting our tails kicked!" Rhodey countered.

"You keep telling yourself that, Rhodes!"

Steve laughed, shaking his head, "I know you're the one who is supposed to be the genius and all, Tony, but I think my math is better than yours because I'm pretty sure the bigger score on _our_ side of the board means that we're winning!" He high fived Sam and Thor.

Tony shook his head, and looking over on the other side of the net, he called out at Thor, "You're playing with us next time, Goldilocks!" He gestured in Clint's direction, "This pansy can play with the losing team next time, Cap!"

The men on the other side of the net just kept on laughing.

Shaking his head, Tony jeered, "Ha! Enjoy winning while it lasts, Cap, because the game ain't over until it's over! It's just all relative anyway! Isn't that right, princess?"

At hearing her daddy say princess, Eva stepped onto the game court. "Yeah, it's all well-a-tive!"

The three of them struggled not to laugh at the sight of the tiny Stark telling them like it was, posed with her tiny hands resting on her hips.

Smiling proudly Tony decided to take it one step further. He leaned down close to her and said, "Tell 'em which team is the best EVER, princess!"

Eva looked at her Daddy, unsure what to say, so Tony whispered in her ear.

"Go on," he said when she gave him an uncertain look. When she still hadn't spoken a few seconds later, Tony knelt beside her, and put a reassuring arm around her saying, "Who's the best team ever, sweetpea?" He whispered in her ear.

This time Eva did what her Daddy had been trying to get her to do, and shouted at her Uncles, "Iwon Man!"

If Steve or Sam had looked at each other, their ability to contain the laughter they were both trying to hold in would have been completely gone. As it was Sam had suddenly gone into a coughing fit, while Steve had turned away and went over to where they'd set up a water cooler. Thor's eyes were bright with mirth but he did not turn away from his opponent or niece.

"Eva baby," Pepper called out once she was in control of her own laughter, "Come back to Mommy so Daddy and your Uncles can finish their game!"

Tony kissed the side of her head, "Go back to Mommy, princess." He stood up as she ran back to her mother watching as Pepper picked her up and seated the little girl on her lap. Once she was settled safely on the side with her mother, Tony turned back to face the net, calling out to the other team, "Are you guys ready to finish this or what?"

Sam coughed one last time and picked up the ball, "My, my, but you're eager for us to finish whooping your collective… tails!" He gestured at Steve and Thor, "My comrades and I will be only too happy to oblige your wish and give you the EPIC tail whooping you've got coming!"

"You keep on dreaming, Wilson!" Rhodey retorted at his brother-in-law.

"And just think you were being friendly with that guy, Legolas!" Tony said, taking his place on the court.

"Yeah well, I won't make that mistake again!"

Sam laughed, and served the ball. Rhodey had to make a dive to keep it from hitting the ground but he saved it, and Tony was the one who returned it over the net. The volleyball was hit back and forth for one of the longest rounds of continuous play they had had since the match had begun. The round was only interrupted when something caught Tony's eye enough that he turned away from the action to look over at it and the ball hit him on the side of the head as a result.

"Oh my… Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, jumping up.

Tony however stopped her from running over to him by holding up a hand, and saying, "I'm okay!"

"Tony, are you sure you're okay?" Steve asked as he crossed over to their side of the court since he'd be the one to hit the ball last.

"Yeah I'm fine, Capsicle. You're concern is so touching!" Tony replied, resting a hand over his heart.

The other man shook his head, and with a smile asked, "What the heck were you loo… Bruce! Doctor Ross!"

Bruce turned beet red as all eyes suddenly fell on them, and he gave them a shy with his free hand, "Hi guys."

Clint had a peculiar look on his face with his mouth open to no doubt say some sort of wisecrack when Eva ran over to the couple, and wrapped her arms around the scientist's legs, "Unca Bruce! Unca Bruce!"

Bruce smiled, exchanged a look with Betty, and after letting go of her hand, scooped Eva up, "Hey there, kiddo!"

Eva wrapped her arms around his neck, "Missed you, Unca Bruce!"

It wasn't hard to see that Bruce was touched by the little girl's greeting. He wrapped an arm around her, returning her hug, "I missed you too, sweetie." He looked her over and said, "Wow you must have grown another two inches since the last time I saw you!"

"Uh huh," the little girl replied, suddenly shy.

Bruce smiled, gave her a quick kiss on top of her head, and put her down.

"Eva baby, come back to Mommy."

"You know, Banner," Clint began as Eva returned to her mother, "you two were in there so long that I thought for sure Stark was pulling our leg when he told us you were on the island now."

It was Betty's turn to turn beet red as Bruce rolled his eyes at the archer. He didn't get the chance to speak the retort that was on the tip of his tongue because Sam decided to add his two cents to the conversation as well.

"Yeah, y'all were in there awhile… long enough to make me wonder if this was actually the Island from Lost instead of the privately owned slice of Heaven I thought we were standing on."

The puzzled look on Bruce's face said that he didn't get the reference was that Sam was making but that was okay. Steve stepped forward to spare Bruce any further, "Alright, guys, that's enough." He extended his hand to Bruce, "It's good to see you again, Dr. Banner. It's good to have you back."

Smiling, the scientist clasped his hand, "Thanks, Cap. It's good to be back."

"You know that we didn't mean anything that we said, right?" Clint said, shaking his hand next.

"Yeah," Sam added, taking his turn, "We were only joking."

Bruce nodded, "Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it."

Thor was next, and as he talked to the Asgardian, Bruce noticed how Tony seemed to be holding back. After saying hello to Rhodey, and shaking his hand, Bruce made his way over to Tony. The look on the billionaire's face was unreadable, and for a moment Bruce was more than a little nervous, wondering if he'd changed his mind about the invitation he'd left for him in New York. With one last noticeable swallow, he finally extended his hand, and mumbled a shy, "Hey, Tony."

Tony kept up his act for like another second, grabbed his hand, and pulled the other man into a hug, "Hey yourself, Big Guy!"

Bruce blinked in surprise, and then released the breath he had been holding. He considered Tony to be one of the closest friends he's ever had, especially since his life became what it was after the Hulk. But even so neither one of them were big on physical contact or overly public displays of affection, so he was surprised when the hug lasted more than a few seconds. If the length of it surprised him, the intensity of it surprised him even more. The longer Tony held onto him the more he had to blink back tears, and in a hoarse whisper when he said, "It's good to see you again, Tony. I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, me too," Tony replied.

"And sorry again that I had to run off like that."

"Hey, I already told you that I know you did what you had to do, and I totally get _why_ too. So stop sweating it, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"I mean, Bruce. It's forgotten, and if there was anything to forgive, it already would have been forgiven while I was still in prison."

Tony ended the hug a few seconds later, not wanting it to get too much more awkward like it would have become if he'd let it go on any longer. "Now if you'll excuse me, my team and I need to finish handing Cap's _sorry_ losers their collective a... uh keisters."

A retort came immediately from Sam, "Is the sun getting to you or something, Stark? We are _still_ WINNING!"

"Don't count your baby falcons before they hatch, Wilson!"

Bruce smiled, shaking his head as Tony started back to the volleyball court, "Oh, Tony?"

The billionaire looked back over his shoulder, "Yeah?"

Shooting a look over at Betty, the scientist said, "Thank you." Betty's eyes met Bruce's at that moment, and she smiled at him.

Tony saw the exchange, and nodding he said, "Anytime, Big Guy."

"Yo Tones, are you coming back to the game _today_ or should we just concede to the other side now?"

Rolling his eyes, he turned back towards the court, "I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't get your knickers in a twist!"

* * *

"Thanksgiving was wonderful," Pepper said softly, breaking the quiet they had been enjoying since they'd settled in the hammock together.

"Mmm, it was," Tony murmured, in his half awake, half asleep state.

They had of course had the traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings with everyone else on the beach. Carving up the turkey, or rather turkeys, had been an interesting experience, since the platters tended to sink into the sand underneath blankets when pressure was applied but they'd managed in the end. Now everyone had gone to their separate bungalows to recuperate from the impending food comas.

"Just what we needed after the last few… horrible months," she said, shuddering.

Tony opened his eyes when he felt her shudder, and kissed her brow before saying, "Yeah." When he felt her shudder again, he tightened his arms around her. "I know that we won't ever forget what happened completely, but I think that after Morgan and Hammer are sentenced, we should try to forget it as best we can."

Both men were scheduled to be sentenced in federal court after the first of the year, and they'd already made the decision to be there to hear it. The death penalty was off the table for both of the men, they knew, but they still wanted to be present when the judge sentenced them to spend the rest of their days in prison.

"Yeah, I want to forget as much as we can once they've been put away forever."

The silence returned, and although Tony was rubbing one hand against her arm, he felt himself begin to drift off. He was almost asleep when he heard Pepper sigh then she was saying something else.

"I hate that our time is almost over. It's so beautiful here, and wonderful for it to be just us with the people we love here with us. That's why…That's why I'm not sure I can or ever want to go back."

He was quiet for a moment before he responded, "Then we don't have to."

"I wish it were possible to stay here."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Oh, Tony, be serious."

"I _am_ being serious, Pep."

Pepper sat up and looked at him, "Oh my… you _are_ being serious, aren't you?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah, I am. I mean what I said. We don't have to go back to New York or even Malibu if you don't want to."

"Again I wish it were possible for us to stay here forever but it's not."

"Why?"

"I think you know very well _why_ , Mr. Stark."

"Please, Mrs. Stark, I want you to tell me why you think it is impossible for us to stay here."

"Because."

Tony rolled his eyes, "No offense, Pepper, but I was hoping for something an explanation a little more comprehensive than just _because_."

Shaking her head, she laid back down, and sighed, "I suppose the biggest reason that we can't stay in paradise forever is that we both have responsibilities to return to. I mean whether we like it or not, we… or rather _I_ have a company to run. The board has already been more than generous with their understanding and patience these last few months. They won't wait forever though for me to return to work."

"So let's sell out then."

"What?!"

"I said let's sell out then."

"I heard what you said but I wasn't sure I actually heard what I heard. Do you really mean that you want to sell out of the company?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

Her voice was incredulous when she answered him, "Because it was your father's company, your inheritance, and something that one day would be our children's inheritance!" When Tony didn't respond to what she had said, Pepper wondered if she had made a mistake bringing up Howard.

"You're right, the company is my inheritance… and my father's legacy. A legacy that one day would have been theirs when I passed it onto them. But you know after everything that's happened with Morgan… after the fact I almost _died_ because he was arrogant… so **greedy** to think that the company should be his and the fact that he was willing to do whatever it took to get his hands on it… I.."

He sighed, hurt filling his voice as he continued, "For most of the time I was growing up, I felt like it… the company meant more to Dad than I. Honestly, Pepper, now that I look back on it, I am surprised that I even inherited it at all. I mean as cold-blooded as he is, Morgan wasn't wrong to believe that Dad preferred him over me since he was more like Dad than I was."

There was a long pause from him then.

"With everything that it's cost… at this point, I'm not sure it's really worth hanging onto Dad's legacy any longer."

"Oh Tony, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For bringing your Dad into this. I shouldn't have."

Tony kissed the top of her head, and said, "Oh, honey, it's okay that you mentioned Dad."

"Is it?" Pepper responded, lifting her head to look at him, "I know how… how sensitive a subject he is for you."

"Yeah, he is a sensitive subject for me," he agreed, "And he's always probably going to be on some level. But Pep, while I was in prison locked in that cell, I did a lot of thinking about a lot of things. My parents but especially my Dad was one of the main things I thought about the most. And do you know what? I think while I was there and thought about the time that he was alive in my life, I think I was finally about to come to terms with what I didn't have with him. I'm not saying that I've reached a point of complete peace where he's concerned, but I think I can accept that what never was can never be."

The sad acceptance in his voice broke his wife's heart, and she stroked his cheek, "Oh, Tony…"

"It's okay, baby. Really. I mean I'll never understand _why_ he treated me the way that did… not even after learning about my brother. I really can't understand him being the way he was. I really can't understand it after becoming a father myself. I love our kids way too much that even thinking about me treating them so coldly hurts me… and I mean it _hurts_ me, almost to the point being physically painful down to the core of my soul. I would cut off my own leg or arm before I'd ever treat them the way he treated me."

"I know you would. I know you would."

A lull fell over them again, and this time it was Pepper who had nearly drifted off when Tony said, "I really am being serious about selling the company. I know that if we do, we'll be selling what should have been our kids' inheritance and breaking my Dad's legacy. But that's okay and you know why it's okay?"

"No why?" she asked, yawning.

"It will be okay because then we'll build something, another legacy to pass onto them and to our grandchildren. It'll be new, a better legacy and it'll be different, and I hope it'll be good because _we'll_ build for them and with _our_ family's future in mind. I really think it's time that we say goodbye to the past."

"You have given this thought, and I'd like to be able to say yes right at this moment but…"

"But _you_ need time to think about it," he replied.

She nodded, "Yeah, I do, sorry."

"I thought you might say something like that, and it's okay," Tony replied.

She turned her head so she could look at him, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I mean it's a lot to think about," he replied, smiling when she yawned again, "I think it's time we stop talking and give into the callings of the food coma now."

He smiled at his wife as Pepper had already passed out while he was talking, "Sweet dreams, honey."

* * *

"Hey, if I could have everyone's attention," Bruce said as he got up.

It was the day after Thanksgiving, and as they had done every other morning on the island, the families were sharing breakfast on the beach. This morning though they had all opted to spread out blankets a little further apart.

Bruce was so mild-mannered, and soft spoken that no one had heard him the first time. So he tried again saying a little more loudly, "Hey guys, can I have your attention please?" When everyone kept on talking, Bruce shared an embarrassed yet amused glance with Betty, and just when he was considering sitting back down, a single voice broke through the buzz of everyone's chatter.

"Friends, harken and give your attention to Doctor Banner, for he wishes to make a proclamation!"

Bruce's face turned red as everyone fell silent butall eyes fell on him. He rubbed his neck nervously as he nodded at the Asgardian, and said, "Uh thanks, Thor."

"You are most welcome."

Clearing his throat, the scientist begins to stumble over his words, "I uh have something that umm I'd like to announce to… to everyone."

"Come now! Don't be shy, Big Guy!" Tony calls out playfully, earning himself an elbow in the stomach by Pepper.

"Uh, right," Bruce said as soon as he's sure Tony would be quiet, "Anyway, what I want to announce is… uh… is uh…" Betty reaches up to take his hand, seeing that he's getting all flustered, and Bruce smiles her. Then while looking down at her, he says, "I asked Betty to marry me and she said yes."

The moment the news sank in, the women left their own blankets and were surrounding Betty at the one she was sharing with Bruce. The men basically the same thing with Bruce. Of course most of the kids weren't old enough to understand why the adults were surrounding the couple being so loud all of a sudden so after looking on in puzzlement, the kids began to chase each other around the beach.

* * *

"So when do you think the wedding will be?" Pepper asked, later on when things were beginning to settle down.

Betty shrugged, "It'll probably be as soon as we can get an appointment at city hall after we get back home."

Pepper kept on smiling but the thought of her friends settling for a city hall wedding after they had waited so long to be together made her sad because she felt they deserved a wedding that was more special than that. Fortunately in that moment her husband loudly said over from where the men were standing, "Why don't you get married here?"

"What?" Bruce exclaimed.

"I said why don't you get married here?"

"You mean like here _here_?"

"Yeah, here."

"On the island?"

"Yep."

"On your private island?"

"No, on Asgard! Of course here on my private island!" When the scientist continued to give him a dumbstruck look Tony wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders, and began moving them towards some palm trees, "Brucie boy, I think maybe we should continue this conversation in the shade 'cause the morning sun seems to be frying that big, brilliant brain of yours!"

"Tony!"

He turned around to face his wife with a look that said _"What?"_.

"You know what!" Pepper said, freeing their mutual friend from his embrace. "I'm sorry about that, Bruce."

Bruce smiled at her, "It's alright, Pepper. I'm not offended. I know that Tony means well."

"Yes, but even so he still sometimes gets carried away!"

"And I just love being talked about like I'm not even standing here."

For the second time that morning, Pepper elbowed her husband in the stomach, and turned to look at their friends, "Bruce, Betty, what I am about to say isn't intended to rush you into a decision but we'd be honored if you did in fact have your wedding here on the island."

Reaching for Betty's hand, Bruce looked at her for a second before he turned back to them, "We do want to get married as soon as possible but..."

"Could we really pull a wedding together in a few days?" Betty finished.

Everyone would start leaving in the island in three days.

"That depends on whether or not you were planning on having a big wedding when you get married," Pepper said. "Were you?"

"Uh, I don't think so," Bruce said, "I mean the only family I have is you guys."

"My father was all I had left."

"So it was just going to be us and whomever we asked or could find for a witness."

Tony made a face and said, "That's just wrong! You guys getting married in some room in city hall with some random Joe Schmoe for a witness!"

"Tony, please _stop_ badgering them about how they want to get married!" Pepper finally interjected.

"I'm not badgering them, Pep."

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not and before you say _'Yes, you are'_ again, I am _not_ badgering them."

"Then _what_ do you think you're doing if not badgering them?"

"Um, I'm just pointing out that getting married at city hall with Joe Schmoe as your witness isn't the most romantic option in the world!"

There was a split second pause after he had finished speaking just before the women burst into laughter. "What? What did I say that was so funny?" Tony asked, trying to sound as clueless as possible to hide his slight embarrassment at their laughter. However things only got worse when Bruce started laughing along with his fiancée. "E tu, Bruce?"

The scientist shrugged, wiping the tears in his eyes while Pepper actually voiced what they, well what Betty and her, were thinking at his statement.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I find it hard to believe that a man, especially one named Tony Stark, is worried about romance!"

"Hey! You know I can be very romantic! What about that time we-"

Pepper quickly placed a hand over his mouth, "I don't think we need to share any details about what we do in our _private_ time together! Besides what I meant was, there have been plenty of time you didn't consider the romance for us, so I find it funny that you're worried about whether or not another couple's wedding will be romantic enough!"

Betty recovered first after Pepper, and she smiled warmly at Tony, "You may not believe me when I say this, but I've waited so long to be with Bruce that I don't care where or how we get married just as long as we do get married. But the thought that you want to go to so much trouble for us... that's so sweet, and means a lot to us... to me." She let go of Bruce's hand, stepped over to Tony, and gave his cheek a quick peck, "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

"You're welcome," Tony murmured touching the cheek she had kissed but was unable to hide the fact that they were now a bit pink, "And please I really wish you would stop calling me 'Mr. Stark', and not because Mr. Stark was my Dad but because hey, you're about to become a part of my family. Families aren't meant to be so formal, you know?"

Her voice was soft, and tears were in her eyes when she said, "Yeah, family shouldn't be so formal and I'll try to remember not to be from now on. Forgive me if I slip?"

Tony's tone was playful when he said, "Oh, I think that can be arranged on two conditions."

"Which are?"

"First, please don't cry. I know I have a reputation to maintain and all but I really can't take seeing a woman cry."

Wiping her eyes Betty said, "I'll try not to."

"Thank you."

"So what's the second condition?"

"Number two is simply this, and only this will do. You two have to say 'I do' here on this island."

"Tony..." Pepper began then stopped, giving her husband a very exasperated look.

He knew by the look, he'd probably hear about this later. But it'd be worth it to him and might actually happen given the fact that he saw more amusement in his friends' eyes than anything else. He also heard it in Bruce's voice when he spoke a few seconds later.

"You just don't give up do you?"

"Oh, you know me."

"Yeah, I do...enough to know that unless we agree to this, you probably won't drop it for the rest of the time we're here. Am I right?" Bruce said, thinking about all the times he had worked in the lab with Tony, and how unrelenting the man could be when he wanted Bruce to help him with something.

The mischievous glint in the billionaire's eyes only deepened when he answered, "What do you think?"

Chuckling Bruce shakes his head, "That would be a no." He shook his head again at the smirk Tony gives him. He glances at Betty, then gets a little serious as he says, "Okay, if we say yes to this, and that's a _big_ if, I have two questions I want answered first."

Judging by the look she was giving Tony, he'd probably hear about his inability to drop this later. But until they were alone, Pepper smiled when she looked at the other couple again and asked, "What are they?"

"Well, the first one is: Do you really think that we can pull everything together _before_ we're supposed to leave for home?"

Threading her arm through his, Pepper looked her husband straight in the eye and asked, "That's a really good question. So do you?" She laid her head on his shoulder before he could answer her question.

He wrapped his arm all the way around her, and kissed the top of her head before turning to answer the question that had been presented, "Alright you want to know if I think a wedding for you two can be put together before everyone starts leaving for home?"

Bruce and Betty both nodded.

"I think it can, and before you ask how or say it can't be done, let me remind you that you're planning on getting married at city hall when you get back to the States."

"Yeah, but-" Bruce began.

Tony held up a hand, "Hold on, Big Guy, I'm not finished making my point yet."

"Oops, sorry. Go ahead."

"Thank you. Now Betty?"

"Um... yes?"

"A few minutes ago in this conversation you said that you don't care where or how you get married just as long as you and Bruce get married. Yes or no?"

"Yes, I did say that. But-"

"Ah ah ah!" he countered, holding up a finger, "Let me make my point." He waited to make sure she would then he continued, "My point is, if you guys just want to get married and don't have to have a big wedding to do it, then why _not_ do it here with the rest of us? I mean wouldn't it be better to have your friends be your witnesses rather than Joe Schmoe?"

Betty nodded conceding to his point, while Bruce was verbal, "Yes, I will admit that getting married with our friends there would be better. But that brings me to my second question which is if we get married here, will it have the same legal standing in the States?"

"Yep, believe it or not, it will be legal in the United States. Or it will be as long as we do everything the local jurisdiction requires, and what they require is nothing that can't be done in the time we have… if you guys want to do it that is."

"Give us a few minutes alone to talk about it?" Bruce said after looking at Betty.

"Of course," Pepper said, and began walking away while pulling Tony with her.

They walked a few feet down the beach away from everyone but where they could see their kids, who were busy burying their godfather in the sand. Tony watched them a few minutes then looked at his wife.

"You're kinda upset with me, aren't you?"

She gave him a side-eyed look and said in the same tone he had used earlier with Bruce, "Oh, you know me."

He sighed, "Yeah, I do so that's a yes. Look, Pep, I'm sorry I kept pushing them but I-"

"I'm not upset with you... just exasperated. I know you mean well, honey, but this is their decision, _their_ business."

He nodded, "I know. I know it's ultimately their decision."

"Do you? Because your persistence up until this point has said otherwise."

"Well, I _do_ know, you know? And I promise if they came back with a no, I will drop it. Okay?"

Pepper nodded, "I'm gonna hold you to that promise."

"Yeah, I know," Tony said with a sigh, "But...but I think maybe after every single thing that we've been through this year just makes me want to see everyone have the ones they love with them because you never know what life is going to throw at you or when the breath you just breathed in might actually be your last one."

As he spoke, he had one of his hands clutching his other arm where the arm bends rubbing a thumb over the exact area where they had inserted one of the needles for the lethal injection. Pepper was certain that he was unaware that he was doing it but she reached a point to where she couldn't take the visual reminder anymore, and placed a hand over his. Her mouth was open to speak but she never got the words out.

"Tony? Pepper?"

"Yes?" Pepper immediately said, sliding her hand into Tony's.

"We want to do it... want to get married here on the island," Bruce said, "and that's all."

"What we mean is," Betty continued, "We don't want any fuss made. We'll get married here but we don't want anything special to be done because of it."

"You mean you don't want a party?" Tony supplied.

"Yes, exactly. We don't want a party... here or when we get back home."

"Then there won't be one. Right Tony?"

The billionaire sighed loudly, "No, there won't. If that's what you guys really want."

"It is."

After a glance at her husband, Pepper squeezed Tony's hand. She had seen the disappointment flash briefly through his eyes. She had to admit that she felt the same way he did but if their friends didn't want a big deal made of them getting married, then they wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Then she had an idea and before she could stop herself, she voiced it aloud.

"How about then after the ceremony, we have a celebratory dinner for the family?"

Bruce looked over at Betty, and she in turn looked at Tony and Pepper, "If we say yes, and that's a _big_ if, the dinner has to be just a simple, plain, _ordinary_ dinner for the family. Nothing fancy."

"Ah, man! You're killing my style here, Banner!" Tony said with a groan.

"I know, Tony," the scientist said with a smile, "But it's how we'd like things. Just something simple."

Tony had opened his mouth to reply but was unable to because once more his wife's hand covered it. Instead, she said, "Then that's what you'll have, and it'll be our pleasure to honor your wishes. Right, honey?" Pepper asked, not removing her hand.

Tony nodded, and muttered something unintelligible.

"Well, then, it looks like we have a wedding to put together!"

* * *

 **EN:** With all this wedding talk for Bruce and Betty, I bet you are all wondering if I am going to have a chapter dedicated to just Tony and Pepper? Don't worry! The next chapter will be (almost) exclusively about them!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** I'm not sure I am completely satisfied with this chapter but I am posting it anyway.

The next chapter will also be Tony and Pepper centric heavy as their day alone together continues!

* * *

A light breeze flitted in from the ocean through the open window of their bedroom waking Tony up enough to kiss the side of his wife's head. The kiss was followed by the tightening of his arms around her, which in turn made Pepper wake up. After a few more nuzzles into her hair and neck, the warmth of the morning sun worked in concert with the warmth of her body against his to send him drifting off back into sleep… until he felt her pull her way out of his arms.

"Hey!" he complained, opening his eyes, "Get back here!"

The woman he loved did nothing but smile at him, nothing making move to meet his demands that she to her former position in his arms. Instead she wrapped herself up in the light bathrobe, before she went over to the window. She did not fight the smile that crossed her lips when she heard him give another groan of complaint, completely feeling his eyes on her as he watched her from the bed.

"It's beautiful outside," she said, watching the horizon for a moment.

"Mmmhmm," Tony murmured unenthusiastically with a yawn, "Come on, Pep, come back to bed. We can sleep in today. Let's not waste the chance!"

"But we didn't waste it! It's almost eight thirty!"

He groaned, and pulled the sheet up over his head, "It's _just_ almost eight thirty? I think ten sounds _waaaaaaaay_ better! Honey, come back to bed, and let's get some more sleep."

"But if we sleep until ten we'll be wasting almost half of our day!"

A grunt was the only reply that he gave her.

"Come on, Tony! Get up so we can go outside and enjoy the day!" Pepper said, turning towards him. When he didn't move or give any indication that he was going to get up, or was even _alive_ she flounced over to the bed, and snatched the sheet off of him.

"Hey!" he protested before sitting up and trying to grab back the sheet.

His wife wisely stood just out of his reach, but that didn't stop him from getting up on all fours anyway and trying to grab the sheet away from her, "Give that back to me!"

"No, I want to go exploring the island and I want you to come with me! Come on, Tony! Get up and get out of bed!" She waved the sheet around just within his reach, and pulled it back whenever he made a grab for it.

He made a few tries to grab it, and then sat back on the bed, shaking his head, "You're not going to come back to bed, are you?"

"Nope."

He tilted his head, thinking, then said, "So you want to spend the day exploring, hmm?"

Pepper nodded, "Yes, I do. I mean since it's something we can't do too easily when the kids are with us."

Running a hand through his hair, Tony had to nod in agreement with his wife's was true, they really couldn't. Ethan and Eva were both at the age they'd rather spend their time on the island playing on the beach with their parents than go exploring with them. That would probably change in a few years from now but until then exploration with them had to be ruled out since they both wanted their children to enjoy their time here as much as their parents were enjoying theirs..

"So, you want to go exploring, huh?" he repeated.

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay then, we'll go explore the island," he said, getting out of bed at last, "But first, I want to go take a shower."

"Alright, while you're doing that, I'll go pack us up some food and drinks to take with us while we're exploring."

"Awww!"

Pepper had turned away to make her way to the kitchen, and she stopped when she heard him grumble, "What now?"

Tony shrugged, shooting her his imploring look as he said, "I just thought maybe you'd like to join me?"

"Tony…"

He had walked up to her, and started trailing kisses down her neck, murmuring into her ear between the kisses, "Come on, baby, we've got all day to ourselves to do whatever we want."

"Yeah, but I wanted to get an early start…"

"The island will still be there waiting for us. Please come and take a shower with me?"

Tony had kept on kissing her as he spoke, and she could hear the longing in his voice. Pepper sighed, and finally allowed herself to melt into his touch, nodding, simply saying, "Okay."

The kisses stopped, "Okay?"

She looked at him, and nodded, "Yeah, okay. I mean you're right about how we're not in any real hurry. This is _our_ day to do whatever we want, _whenever_ we want. We don't have to be anywhere at any set time. Right?"

"Yeah… right."

Smiling, she took his hand, and it was she who led the way into the bathroom.

They walked out of their bungalow's door almost an hour later, then went straight to the jeep parked in the nearby detached garage. The jeep was normally used by the island's hired live on caretakers, so last night before they had gone to bed, Tony had checked just to make sure the vehicle had enough gas for the day of exploring they wanted to do.

Pepper opened the jeep's passenger door, then climbed inside while Tony finished stowing their picnic basket and blankets in the back. Before he closed the back up, he called out to his wife to ask, "Hey honey, did you want to drive?"

She looked back at him, and gave a shake of her head, "No, I'm fine with letting you drive."

She could see he was hesitating, and she knew she had answered in a way he wasn't completely expecting because he knew she wasn't the biggest fan of his driving. It was true since the kids had come along in their lives, he was far more careful behind the wheel but whenever they went anywhere together, she still preferred Happy to be the one to drive them.

He finally nodded, closed the back hatch, and walked around to the driver's side. He climbed in, then started the jeep's engine, "Okay, let's get this show on the road." He turned the jeep around, and started down the path that would lead them to the other side of the island.

"So," Tony began as he watched his wife tread water in the pool in front of the waterfall, "Have you given any more thought about us just selling out of the company and taking an early semi-retirement?"

Her answer to his question make him wait a little while so she could take another lap around the pool of water. He didn't know if she was trying to get a reaction out of him or not so he just shrugged when she swam away, deciding that he would wait for when she was ready to give him an answer to his question. After she swam around for another five minutes she came back over to him and exited the water.

Pepper still didn't speak as she dried herself off and tied her sarong around her waist. Sitting down beside him on the blanket, she gave him a look, before she nodded, "Yes, I have been giving it some more thought."

"And?" he inquired, watching as his wife opened up her water bottle.

She took a sip, shrugging, "I… uh honestly don't know. I mean it's only been… since like a _very_ short time since you made the suggestion."

"Yeah, I know it's only been a little while," he replied, "But I just thought that you might have some... uh you know more thoughts on it."

"Well, considering you only brought it up like _literally_ yesterday, on the same day we convinced two of our friends to have their wedding on our private island, I have to say I haven't given it too much more thought. " Out of the corner of her eye, when she saw him nod, she turned her head fully towards him where she could see what she knew to be disappointment on his face, "But I'm open to talking more about it right now if you would like to?"

Tony stared at her for a moment, "I uh would… but only if it's okay with you if we do?"

"Yes, it's okay."

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to rush-"

"Tony, it's okay... really," she added that last part when he gave her a skeptic look, "So where do you want to start?"

"Well, maybe we can start with what do you think of the idea of selling out?"

Pepper thought about it for a few seconds, then answered, "I don't know. It's hard for me to know what to think when I have never thought that selling out would be something you'd-"

"We'd... something that _we'd_ want to do," he corrected then signaled for her to go on.

"Okay, then _we'd_ want to do... although technically I think I should still be saying _you_ because you are the one who was born with the last name of Stark. I just married into the family."

" _Just married into..._ Pepper, honey you did more than _just_ married into the family... and you have no less of a right to the claims of being a Stark than I do! In fact, I think sometimes that you have more of a claim to being a Stark than me!"

"And how do you figure that?"

"Because you are the owner of my heart to begin with. For another, you are the mother of my children... who will of course be my... well _our_ heirs since they're the next generation of...-" His voice trailed off when he looked over at her to find she was shaking her head, and had an amused look on her face, "What?"

"What?" she repeated. "What?"

"Yes. what? And _why_ do you look like you're about to laugh at me?"

"Because I am about to laugh at _you_ maybe?"

"Okay mind telling me exactly what did I do to earn your mirth?"

"What did you do? I can't believe you are asking me _that_ question!"

"Well, believe it because I _am_ asking you _that_ question! So what did I do?"

Watching him scowl in confusion and consternation at her, Pepper finally couldn't contain her laughter any longer, and the bright sound burst forth from her lips. She tried to stop, she really did but when her husband tried to give her an attempt at a menacing look, he only succeeded in making her laugh that _much_ harder.

Finally Tony rolled his eyes, and threw his hands into the air obviously completely clueless as to why his wife was in the middle of a mad giggle fest, so he just huffed (bad mistake as it made her laugh harder), and decided to just let her get it all out. Eventually when she stopped laughing, he decided to try again, "So what was so funny?"

"You!"

"Care to be a little more specific, Pep, or should I just try to read your mind?"

Still giggling just a little, she started to answer his question, "What's so funny is... the fact that _you_ asked me what I think of us selling out of the company you were about to go off on some sort of side... train of thought just because I made the statement that I wasn't born into the Stark family or name like you were!"

"Oh, is that what set the laughing at me off?"

"Oh my but _**YES**_!" was all she could get out.

He tried his best to scowl at her but it lasted all of five seconds before he was smiling at her, and shaking his head. She was wiping away tears of mirth when he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled them both down onto the blanket. Another few minutes went by as Pepper continued to get the last of the giggles out of her system. In the meantime he kissed the side of her head every so often, patiently waiting for the moment he could resume talking to her about the issue.

"I love hearing you laugh," Tony said after she finally just beginning to settle down.

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Mmm hmm, I do. Even when it's at my own expense."

"Even when it's…" Pepper stopped there, propping herself up on her elbow she looked down at him, "I was going to ask you if you were being serious, but I can see that you _are_ , aren't you?"

He nodded.

"You really like it when people laugh at-"

"Not _people_ , honey. _You_. I'm only okay with being laughed at it's at my own expense when it's _you_ who is doing the laughing… and no one else… well except maybe…"

"Jimmy?"

"Yes, but don't you _dare_ ever tell him I said that."

His wife smiled at him before she laid back down, putting her head back on his shoulder, "Are you sure you don't want me to tell him that?"

"I'm sure I don't want you to tell him that!"

"Why not?"

"You mean besides the fact he'd take every opportunity that comes his way to take me up on what I said?"

"Yes, besides that."

"I uh… he will enjoy it too much?"

"That's not a reason, Tony."

"It's not?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Then umm…"

She knew he was getting flustered, and was trying to find a way to figure out good enough a reason for her to not betray what he had told her in confidence. She let him sweat it out a few more seconds and deciding he had had enough, let him off the hook, "Relax, I am not going to tell him!"

"Promise?" he asked, feeling her shake her head.

"I promise, I won't tell him."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome but would it be so bad if he knows?"

Tony knew all Rhodey would do would be to tease him relentlessly, but that's what brothers did, or at least he thought that's what brothers did. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure since he didn't get to grow up with his older brother. Even so still he did have an idea from watching how his own children interacted with each other, along with how his nieces and nephews. The boys definitely loved to tease their sisters a lot. He knew from many hours of observation that Ethan teased Eva a lot. But by virtue of those same hours, he also knew his son loved his little sister like crazy, and would protect her in a second if he needed to. His kids were as close as he has imagined that he and his brother would have been if Steven hadn't-

Steven may have died before Tony could ever remember him but he knew he hadn't lost having a brother completely. Not when he had Rhodey and not when they'd always been thick as thieves since the day they'd met at MIT.

 _We have always been brothers, We_ always _will be brothers_ , he thought.

"Yes, you will," Pepper softly declared, breaking into his thoughts.

"Hmm? W-what?"

"I'm just confirming what you said about how you will always be brothers with Jimmy."

"Did I say all that I was thinking out loud or something?"

"Well I don't know if you said _all_ of what you were thinking out loud, but you did say that _part_ about how you and Jim will always be brothers, and I just had to agree with you. So was that your answer to my question about would it being so bad?"

"I… uh suppose it was?"

She smiled at the uncertainty in his voice, and once more she let her husband swaet a little before she repeated herself , "Don't worry. I won't tell him if you don't want me to."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. So is there anyone else you don't mind them laughing at your expense just so you can hear them laugh?"

"I think after it being like pulling teeth to get you to promise not to tell Rhodey, honey, I think I am going to let you take a guess about who I may or may not mind laughing at my expense if it means I can hear them laughing."

"If I guess out loud, will you tell me if I am right?"

"I uh... guess I could?"

He sounded uncertain about doing this, probably because he didn't want to give them ammunition... or more likely, he didn't want them to know he was softer than they already believed him to be. Little did he know but they already knew he was actually softer than he decades long public reputation said he was. So she decided that she wouldn't ask him if any of the Avengers were in this particular group of his, even if she was sure that they were. Instead, she'd only ask him about the one other person who had known him longer than she had but not quite as long as Rhodey.

"Happy."

"What about him?"

"He's one of them, isn't he?"

While she waited for him to answer, Pepper could feel his fingers playing with her hair, betraying his nervousness. She nodded her head, and confirmed aloud, "Yes, I'm _sure_. I am not going to repeat this. So am I right? Is it Happy?"

He mumbled a single syllable answer to her question.

"What? What did you say?"

"Yes. I said yes, _Happy_."

Happy, so she was right.

"He's just serious all of the time you know?" Tony said, gesturing with his free hand, "He needs to loosen up sometimes and if it takes him laughing _at_ me to get him to laugh... well I guess I can take one for the team."

"Yeah, you're right about Happy," she agreed, "He _is_ too serious most of the time... when he's working."

"Which is _always_!"

"Yes, well if he's always working and serious, you do know it's because of _us_ right?"

"Because of us?"

"Yes, because of _us_."

"Pep, how can it be because of _us_ when we _try_ to give Happy time off regularly and he doesn't take it?"

"Regularly, Tony?"

"Semi regularly?"

"Close but still no banana," Pepper chuckled.

"Okay, okay, if you're going to be so technical about every once and awhile. But either way, he still won't take us up on it. You know he doesn't."

"I know he doesn't but I think it's only because he's worried something will happen to one of us if he's not there to watch out for us. Maybe we could try harder to get him to take some days off?" The moment he said the words, Tony knew how ridiculous they were, and he laughed, "I know you don't have to tell me that it won't work. Happy's a bit too, as I've heard a certain someone say on the battle a few times, stubborn son of a gun to trust us with our own safety for a day."

"Son of a gun?" His wife inquired in an amused tone.

"Uh huh, and I _know_ you can guess which one of us used that phrase!"

Yes, she could easily have guessed who used that phrase, and she didn't need to say her guess out loud as she knew that her husband knew who she'd say. Instead she replayed the their conversation in her head,and realized they were far off the path of the original subject they'd started out on. "You asked me what I think about us selling out of the company?"

"Mmm hmm, I believe that I did."

"So after we sell out, what did you have in mind? Were you thinking that we should take a super earlier retirement? Because if that's what you are thinking I might have some thoughts on the subject."

When he didn't say anything, she took it as her cue to go on, "Well, you know how ever since I left home to go to college."

"Yes?"

"Well, I uh think going into an early retirement might actually be a shock to my system. I've been going to work almost every day since I left home for college that I might not know what to do with myself if all of a sudden I don't have to go to work anymore."

"Uh honey, you don't have to work now. Look at _who_ you're married to."

Pepper rolled her eyes, which of course he couldn't see, so she very lightly smacked him on his abdomen, laughing while she asserting, "I'm pretty sure you _know_ what I meant!"

He made a show of rubbing the spot she'd struck but she hadn't been using much force, so she knew she hadn't hurt him, and besides that he was also laughing with her.

"Yeah, I know what you meant by that."

A minute or two passed while the two of them got their laughter out, and then they were both quiet for another minute or so. Finally, Pepper resumed what she'd been saying before he'd interrupted her with his joke.

"When I said I don't have to work, I didn't mean I didn't I have to work. I've known that for awhile now that I didn't have to actually work anymore to support myself like I did in college. Or like when I had just graduated and needed to pay off all of my student loans. Even before you decided to make me CEO, I didn't have a life or death need to work anymore."

She left unspoken the fact she knew he had always been more than generous with what he paid her. Even when she was just his personal assistant, she had made more than enough money to meet the payments on all of her bills every month, and then had plenty left in her bank account to live comfortably on.

"But I can't help but think that if we decide to sell out, I will be out of a job since I doubt the board will want me to stay around."

"Awww, you shouldn't underestimate yourself, Pep, or how much the board loves you!"

"Whether they love me or not, I don't think they are going to want me around running what will be _their_ company once we sell out. I mean once we sell out, I will essentially become an outsider, and honestly, if you were them, would you want an outsider running your company?"

"Under normal circumstances I would say, not I wouldn't. But when the outsider is _you_ , the answer should be a _yes_ , without a second of doubt or _any_ hesitation! Or at least that should be the case with anyone who has half a working brain!"

"Well thank you for the compliment and vote of confidence, dear, but I still don't think once we sell out they will want me staying on board at Stark Industries."

"So what if they don't?" Tony said, breaking the few seconds of silence between them, "And if they don't, it's like we've said, you don't need the job. If that's what happens, I hope we can take a little time off together for just us and the kids before we do something about it, And before you say anything let me say yes I think I have an idea in mind about what we could do if after awhile you decide you want to go back to _work_."

"Are you going to share the idea right now or am I going to have to wait until a later date to hear them?"

"I'd say you will have to wait to hear it later but if I do that-"

"You might forget what it is are in the meantime?"

"Knowing me, yeah, I probably would forget the idea by then."

"So, what is your idea?"

"It's a simple, yet brilliant one."

"Wanna share with the class, Professor Stark?"

"We start our _own_ company."

"We _start our own company_?"

"Yes, we start our own company."

She sat up and looked at him, "You're being serious, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am because you're right when you said once we're out they aren't going to let us back in. Unless, of course, we buy our way back in. And I bet they would use the opportunity to make back the money they paid when they bought us out!"

"Oh, I'm sure they would! Wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I probably would, which is why I think us building our own company from the ground up will be the only option we have."

"Unless..." Pepper started, and paused a moment before suggesting, "I go work at another company that's already been established."

"Huh yeah, I guess you could do that... if you want to be bored."

"I wouldn't be bored!"

"Yes, you would!"

"No, I wouldn't not!"

"Yes, you _would_!"

"No, I would not be bored, Tony!"

"Yes, you _would_ ," he countered again, using his fingers to cover her lips when she parted them to argue with him, "You know you would be because if you go work for an already established company, you'd have to follow their rules, and their goals, and their way of doing things!"

"You do know that unlike someone who shall remain nameless, I don't have a problem following the rules." She heard her husband give a huff, and adding before he could verbally respond, "But that said, I suppose you're right. I would have to follow their rules and guidelines."

"Which sounds boooooooooooring!"

Pepper rolled her eyes, thinking about how much he sounded like their son just then.

"Besides the following their rules, you'd also have to follow their schedule. You wouldn't be able to make your own."

"Well you know that, even with our own company, making my own schedule would eventually become a moot point. I mean that's always been the case in the past. Because once have it off of the ground you know as well as I do that the scheduling will start to dictate itself."

He thought about what she had just said, and he had to admit that she was right. It always seemed that no matter how much his wife had tried to wrangle in her work schedule back into line, it always found a way to wrangle itself right back out of line from her

"Forget I said what I said about the schedule then."

"Okay."

"But unpredictable schedules aside, you know setting up a new company will be a challenge,. I know you love challenges, Pep. I mean you married me, so you must."


	6. Chapter 6

"Pep honey, uh... since we've been talking about the topic of us selling out of the company and then taking it easy for awhile, there's… well there's something else I think I need to tell you about."

Pepper looked over at her husband with a small degree of concern. He had sounded unsure as well as nervous. What on Earth did he have to tell her about that would get him nervous beyond the idea of their future once they sold out of Stark Industries?

"What is it, Tony?" she asked finally when he didn't continue onwards.

"Um, I... uh..."

"Tony?"

He rubbed the back of his neck while he tried to decide how to start with what he needed to say to her. When he'd opened his mouth to tell her told her there was something else she needed to hear, and now there was nothing for him to do but to but for him to actually say what was on his mind .

"Okay, you know when Steve and I went off alone to have our little ?"

She nodded, "Yes?"

"Well one of the things I said to Steve while we were away was um... well told him was that after everything that's happened, Iron Man is... retired."

"You told him, _what_?"

"Iron Man is officially retired. I told Steve I am stepping down as a member of the Avengers."

She stared at him.

She couldn't help it.

For years and years she had wanted him to step down as Iron Man... or at the very least reduce his role as a member of the Avengers. But he never had, not even after the birth of their children. She'd be a liar if she said that their births were something she had really hoped would trigger a desire in him to take at least a few at steps back if it didn't make him step away the team altogether. But if anything it seemed like their births had the opposite since it seemed to have increased his desire to fight with the team. The only reason she could think of as the reason he would keep on fighting after their births was because he wanted to make the world a safer place for the two little precious lives they'd been blessed with. She knew Tony felt that as their father protecting them from the dangerous world was a responsibility to be taken with the utmost seriousness and one thousand percent dedication. She could not fault him for feeling that way. If anything the way he felt about their son and daughter made her loved him even _more_.

His uncertain voice interrupted her thoughts with an utterance of her name, "Pepper?"

She looked at him, realizing he was waiting on some sort of reaction from her. She swallowed, "So you're _really_ retiring as Iron Man?"

"Yeah, I am. I mean I can't after what happened because it will be way too dangerous for both me and for the Avengers to stay in the superhero business." He laughed with a shake of his head, as though he had just realized what he had said "But it's _always_ been way too dangerous, hasn't it? It doesn't take a genius like me to know that fighting with the team was always something that could've gotten me killed..."

 _And fighting with them almost did get you killed the first time you fought with the others_ , Pepper thought, while trying not to think of the sight of him going through the wormhole, guiding the nuclear missile away from New York and Earth.

He had been so _close_ to never returning to her that day. If he had never returned to her that day, they never would have become husband and wife as they had the end of that very same year.. When she looks at him now, she thinks about how the last nine years could have been easily erased, and with them her children.

She can't imagine how different... or just _how_ alone her life without him would have been. She doesn't want to imagine it. Neither doesn't want to think about how she also wouldn't be the mother now to two of the most sweet, wonderful, and beautiful children in the world.

She gets startled from her thoughts. Blinking she looked at him and she gave him a smile before she said, "Hi."

"Hi," he responds, a concerned look on his face, "Where'd you, Pep?"

"Oh I was just thinking," Pepper coyly answers, hoping he won't ask her for any details . Her hopes were quickly dashed.

"So what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about what happened in New York... about when Loki attacked... and about how you almost didn't make it out of that fight alive."

"I think what happened in New York is a good example not to mention reason _why_ it's time that I retire as Iron Man. It kinda really illustrates part of the _dangers_ that come with the superhero business doesn't it?"

"Yes... yes it really does," she agreed shuddering as she continued to remember and thought of him falling out of the sky. She was so **thankful** when the Hulk had _just_ caught him before he could hit the ground. He'd been unconscious and falling at such a great velocity that there was no question in her mind the impact with the ground would have killed him. It had been fortunate for Tony, Bruce's fondness for him was not lost in translation when it came to the Hulk. If the Enormous Rage Monster hadn't caught him when he had... well she knew he would be sitting here beside her right now.

"Those days are behind me now, honey. I won't be suiting up to fight with the team whenever they get called to assemble again."

Pepper arched an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"

He gave her a nod, "Yes, I am sure. I am one hundred thousand percent sure. I know, my track record in the past hasn't been the best when it comes to not charging head first into a fight. This time though I **have to** I mean it. I'm at the point of No Return whether I like it or not because I can't fight with the Avengers anymore without putting the others in even greater danger."

"What do you mean by _without putting the others in danger_?"

"I uh think there would be a very good chance that someone would come after me during a fight."

"But why would they come... oh my! You think there are people out there who think you're actually guilty one instead of Morgan and Hammer actually being the ones who committed those crimes, don't you?"

"I don't think. I _know_ and the reason I know is because people have always assumed the worst about me."

"Oh Tony, that's not true!" his wife countered.

With a shake of his head, he refuted her, "I think we both know that it is true, honey. Remember I was not only born with the last name of Stark but I had the lucky _privilege_ of being born the _only_ surviving son of Howard Stark. Neither one of those things helped me. Then to make it even worse, for years after they... _they_ died, I was making an effort to making sure my own reputation would rival the one my Dad had. You know what kind of reputation I'm talking about. It's the one where I made everyone, you included, believe I didn't care about anyone or anything that didn't directly involve me making even more money or getting me whatever else I wanted."

Pepper sighed, "I think you are being far too hard on yourself, Tony."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are."

"Then why did everyone in the world believe I murdered all of those cops in cold blood just so I could kill the man who tried to kidnap our daughter?"

"Because they believed what the media was telling them what to believe about you? I don't believe your reputation would have had anything to do with it, Tony."

"Yeah maybe the media giving their completely non-biased opinions about me... maybe that would account for a lot of the people who thought I was guilty of the cold blooded murder of thirteen people but what about the jurors at my trial? They weren't supposed to have already decided one way or another if I was guilty or not before the trial."

"They believed you were guilty because of all the evidence the prosecution presented in court, Tony, not because of anything they have heard previously about you in the media."

"Are you sure about that, Pepper? Because I'm not."

"Yes, I _am_ sure,"

"Why? Why are you sure?"

"Because I _know_ **you** , Anthony Edward Stark. I _know_ what kind of a man I married. I know the man I married isn't at all the man he led others to believe he was all those years ago."

* * *

She reached out, touching one of his cheeks, "I _know_ because the man I know, love married, and is the father of my children has one of the most incredible, giving, and loving hearts I have ever known in my life. Yes, I know in the past you've worked hard at trying to make everyone believe you are actually the man your public reputation says that you are, but you are **not** , Tony. "

"If we sell out of the company, and it's still a **big** if for me at this point, just so you know that I am **not** letting you be CEO again! Not in a million years!"

"Good because I don't want to be the CEO again! Not in a million years! When I thought of this idea, I totally had pictured you continuing to act as CEO because I know how you're much more than capable of doing the job, Pep! And besides I can't see the board, whether it's at Stark Industries or if we start over, really wanting me to take back the reins of the company, can you?"

"No, not really," Pepper admitted after a second.

"No, of course not! They'd be certifiable if they'd wanted to take me back after your successful tenure at Stark Industries! Even with you having to put out a lot of my fires, you've still managed to keep things going in the direction they like. Plus frankly you seem to thrive on things that I always found mind numbingly _boring_! No, I'd much rather be in the shop-"

"Constantly threatening Dum-E and U by telling them you're going to donate them for this or that!"

"I do not constantly threaten them!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you _do_ and before you deny it again, I say let's put in a call to JARVIS, and ask him about how many times you threaten the bots when you're down there with them!" She pulled out her cell as she spoke and started dialing.

"You do know that you are not going to be able to call JARVIS while we're out here, right?"

"I'm not calling JARVIS. I'm calling BRUTUS and asking him to put in a call to JARVIS for me!"

"Oh great! BRUTUS is going to-"

"BRUTUS, do me a favor and connect me with JARVIS please?"

"Certainly, Missus S, although is this something I can help you with?" the AI responded with what sounded suspiciously like an affronted tone.

Pepper rolled her eyes, and shot her husband an exasperated look.

"What?"

"Only you would create two artificial intelligences who rub each other the wrong way!" she told him before returning to the phone, "No, not this time, BRUTUS. I need to speak to JARVIS for this."

"Okay, I will connect you right away."

Boy, BRUTUS sounded really affronted now!

"How may I help you, Ma'am?" JARVIS's crisp British accent inquired over the line a few seconds later.

Pepper couldn't help but smile at the sound of the AI's voice.

"Mr. Stark and I were having a conversation in which Dum-e and U came up, and to be more specific, I brought up the issue of how many times they've been threatened with donation from Mr. Stark."

"Yes, Ma'am, is there anything specific that you wish to know in regards Mr. Stark's _threats_ to Dum-e and U?"

"Yes, I wish to know if you've kept a record of how many times they've both been threatened with donation or with something else like being dismantled and their parts being used for something else?"

"Yes, Ma'am, as a matter of fact, I do. Sir has programmed me to keep a general record of the activities that take place in his workshop."

"Well, please do share, JARVIS," Pepper said, watching as Tony grimaced.

Tony saw her eyes widened a second later, "What? I still say it's not that many!"

Instead of arguing with him, she said into the phone, "Would you please repeat to Tony what you just told me, JARVIS?"

"Certainly, Ma'am."

In the next second, Tony found the phone pressed to his ear. He had opened his mouth to mute the AI but before he could get the one syllable out, JARVIS was rattling off a really large number.

Like a number that would rival the Stark family personal fortune past and present if such a number could be converted into actual cash.

"Okay, okay," he said, handing the phone back to her once JARVIS had finished speaking, "You've made your point. So I have threatened them both more than once over the years. It's not like I've actually carried through with any of them with either one of them !"

"Yet!" his wife sassed, and then she giggled as his jaw went slack, and he gaped a her.

"I… you don't seriously think I..."

While still laughing at her husband, Pepper thanked JARVIS and ended the call before she responded to him, "I think they do know it's not going to happen to them if it's not happened by now and you've been doing it for years. But I think maybe every time you threaten them, you might be hurting their feelings."

"Hurt their... oh come on, Pepper! You can't possibly be serious!"

"But I am being serious!"

"Honey, I love them dearly and I know I have called them my kids in the past but I didn't program them to have feelings like you, me, or one of our actual kids!"

"But they do! How can you say they don't?"

"Because uh they don't?"

"But they do, Tony! They really do have feelings like us! Or at least, I believe they're capable of expressing love like we can."

"You think they're capable of expressing love, how? In what way?"

"Well, while you were... away, the bots were sad because they _missed_ you, Tony."

"And how do you know they were missing me? If anything I bet they were glad I wasn't there so they could have a few moments of peace without me grumbling at them or telling them I was going to donate them off to some city college!"

"No, relief wasn't the emotion I would ascribe to them at all . They actually did _miss_ you, and the way they acted when they saw you after you came home, is proof of. And yes, I know about how they mobbed you in the workshop the night the others gave us a welcome home dinner."

The billionaire frowned, and then rolled his eyes, "Rhodey told you about that."

She nodded, "Yes, Jim told me all about it. He told me about how neither Dum-e or U wanted to let you go long enough so you would be able to talk to him. I think the fact they didn't want to let you go after seeing you again so soon... if that's not evidence that they missed you or that they _love_ you, Tony, I don't know what is!"

"But they're machines, honey! I don't mean that in a derogatory way because I do love them. There have been times I wish I could have just interacted with machines for the rest of my life because I got along with them better and do you know why? Why I get along better with them, with machines, I mean? I get along with them better because machines don't have any feelings for me to hurt with anything I say or are dumb enough to do to them, that's why! And with my mouth... speaking before really thinking it out..." He trailed off, knowing she'd knew him well enough and he was willing to let her fill in the rest of that statement.

As she listened to him, Pepper's heart swelled with love for this brilliant genius of a man she loved and had married. For a man with such a brilliant mind, he could be such a self-depreciating idiot sometimes, especially when it came to himself. Like so many times before, she _wished_ that he could see himself as _she_ as well as all the _others_ who loved him saw him: as being someone who was more than worthy of every ounce of the love he was showered with.

"You know what?" he inquired, interrupting her thoughts, "I know it's getting late, and we've only got a few hours left before we have to had back but I could use a nap. Wanna join me?"

She nodded, although she wasn't all that sleepy, "Sure."

"Wanna give the very questionable looking hammock over there a try?"

The middle of the hammock in question sagged in the middle in a way it shouldn't be, and between the fading as well as the dirt on it, Pepper didn't have any idea what color it was supposed to be anymore.

She shook her head, "No, I think we're better on spreading out the blankets and taking a nap right here."

* * *

"Boss, wake up! Yo, Boss! Wakey wakey up!"

"Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"Your watch is talking."

"Hmm."

"Tony!"

"Epic Wake Up call will play in ten seconds unless Boss says he's awake. Ten... nine... eight..."

Pepper's eyes snapped open at hearing the AI's warning, and she slipped out of her husband's arms, sitting up, "We're awake, BRUTUS! Cancel Epic Wake Up call!"

She had been subject to hearing what Tony had named _Epic Wake Up_ one other time before and that one time was more than enough thank you very much. It was a mixture of many of the heavy metal rock songs, and every other loud, obnoxious sound Tony could find rolled into one long, ear bleeding symphony. Thankfully the one time she had heard it, it had been when they were completely alone in the penthouse because she knew it would have made both of the kids cry out of fright for a solid week.

Yes, it really had been _that_ horrible!

"Sorry, Missus S, but I need to have confirmation from the Boss himself to cancel. Six... five..."

She considered trying to get Tony to wake up long enough to cancel the wake up but she knew she'd just be wasting the time she had to be covering her ears. So instead Pepper covered her ears, and then prayed the EWU wouldn't make her ears bleed as nearly as much on an open tropical island like it had when they were in their closed up bedroom.

"Three... two..."

"BRUTUS, cancel EWU!"

"Canceling, Boss!"

Tony laughed when he heard his wife give an audible breath of relief, and then he exclaimed "Ouch!" the next second when she smacked his shoulder. He opened his eyes, and rubbed his shoulder as he sat up beside her, "Hey, what was that for?"

"For faking being asleep the entire time, that's what!"

"I wasn't faking."

"You weren't?"

"No, I wasn't."

She had reached out to start rubbing his shoulder where she had smacked him, and had her mouth opened to apologize when he amended what he had said.

"I wasn't asleep the entire time, only for _most_ of your little exchange with BRUTUS."

As soon as his words sank in, Pepper stopped rubbing his shoulder, and lightly smacked it again as she glared at him. The glare held no heat as she was also trying not to laugh at him. She held it together for a few more seconds, then leaned over to kiss him while she was still laughing. Her laughing soon stopped as their kissing very quickly intensified, and once again they got lost in each other.

"Boss, it's been twenty minutes since I woke you and the Missus up. If you're going to make it back to the -"

Hearing the not so subtle reminder of the island AI, Tony pulled away from his wife long enough to call out an irritated "Mute!" He moved his head closer to Pepper again to return to what they'd been doing before BRUTUS spoke up, but found himself groaning instead when she pulled away, and before she got up.

"I can't believe this day is almost over with," she said, holding a hand out to him.

He took hold of her offered hand, got up, and then wrapped his arms around her waist as she turned around to look at the waterfall again. After a minute, he murmured in her ear, "Same here. It went by way too fast, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

They stayed that way for another few minutes, then after giving his wife's neck one last kiss he said,"I guess we better pack up and head back. They'll probably be back in the next hour, hour and a half."

* * *

Once they parked the jeep close to the dock, Pepper and Tony walked over to the beach near it, and entwined in each other while they waited. Their long wasn't very long, for within five minutes of arriving, they got the first sighting of the boats on the horizon. With time they steadily grew bigger and bigger until they reached the docks and slowed down. They stayed where they were until the the small boats had tied been tied securely to the dock, and the walkways were extended into place.

Their friends' exhaustion from the day was obvious, so neither Tony or Pepper attempted to strike up any conversations with them as they disembarked. They just nodded, and watched as the adults shepherded their exhausted children along towards the bungalows, while keeping an eye out for their own. When they finally spotted their son and daughter, it wasn't a surprise to see them in the same state as all the other kids were in.

The second he spotted Eva laying ragdoll limp against her Uncle Jimmy's shoulder, Tony hurried forward towards them.

"Hey," Rhodey said quietly as he transferred the little girl into her Daddy's waiting arms, "She had a lot of fun today but she wore herself completely out."

Tony cupped the back of his daughter's head, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he replied in a voice as soft as his friend's had been, "I can see that." His eyes widened as Thor joined them carrying Ethan in nearly the same fashion his little sister was.

Pepper went over to them but didn't try to take her son from Thor, and he didn't try to hand Ethan over to her. Brushing back hair from his forehead, she asked in a near whisper, "Thor, would you mind taking him inside and putting him in bed?"

Thor smiled, "Nay, of course not,"

"Thank you," she murmured, stepping back so he could pass.

"This way, Goldilocks," Tony said, nodding goodnight to his best friend before he started leading the way inside his and Pepper's own bungalow.

"Thank you, Thor."

The Asgardian gave them a smile and a nod then left them alone to return to his own family.

Pepper watched him walk across the way towards the bungalow he was staying with Jane, their kids, and Darcy for a few seconds. She had been about to turn around when she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist, and felt warm breath in her ear.

"They're completely down for the count tonight, so what you say about us going for a stroll on the beach?"

She reached up to touch one side of his face, and kissed the side of his mouth before she asked, "What if the kids wake up?"

"BRUTUS will let us know. Right, Broo?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Come on, honey," Tony persisted after she didn't say anything, "I'm not ready to call our day over yet. Please?"

Pepper turned around in his arms so she could look at him and asked, "You're not tired?"

"Not even a little, are you?"

"No, not really."

"Then let's go for a walk on the beach."

Biting her bottom lip, Pepper asked, "BRUTUS, are the kids still asleep?"

"Yes, Missus S. They're sound asleep."

"And you'll us know if they even show the slightest indication of either of them waking up?"

The AI sounded more than just a little offended when he responded, "Haven't I _always_ , Missus S?"

"Of course, you have, BRUTUS. It's just-" Her voice was cut off when Tony placed a hand over her mouth.

"Come on, let's not get Broo's servers all twisted in a knot, and go for our walk already." Tony was grabbing her hand and leading the way out of the door when they heard the AI sputter.

"Get my servers twisted up in a knot! Why of all the wiseguy things to say, Boss! Why I oughta-"

By now Pepper was laughing so hard at the indignant look on her husband's face that she was almost too weak pull him towards the beach where he wanted to take a walk.

"I love..." she began when she finally had enough to speak again, "How _all_ of your AIs have such major, epic sassitudes!"

" _Sassitudes_? What the...?"

"Yes, you know sass plus the word attitudes."

"Sassitudes, huh?"

"Yep, sassitudes."

"I don't think I've ever heard of sassitudes before now."

"Well, I am sure I'm not the _one_ who made it up but I haven't ever heard the word before either… at least I don't think I have and what difference does it make anyway?" Pepper knew the answer to her question before she finished speaking it because she could see the gleam in her husband's eyes.

"Oh, no difference. I just wanted to see how long it'd take you to say something is all!" Tony answered, laughing the entire time.

Any other time, she might feel some mild irritation at his teasing, but not right now. Right now she was enjoying hearing the sound of his laughter again, that she couldn't help but join in with him. In a little while after both of their laughing fit passed, she could feel as tears filled her eyes, her gaze lingering the remaining mirth on his face, "I love you."

"I love you," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before he began guiding them down the beach.

They walked in silence for a while, just enjoying the warmth of the breeze coming off the ocean as the cool tide danced around their feet. Pepper laid her head on his shoulder, one arm wrapped around her husband's waist, her fingers securely intertwined with his. They stopped walking to watch the stars as they began to appear on the indigo velvet of the heavens.

"What I'm about to say is not a definite commitment to anything," she said, breaking the pleasant silence, "And I feel like we'll still need to talk about this, like a lot, but when we go back to New York, I think that maybe I would like to explore other things I can do other than being the CEO of Stark Industries."

"Do you think doing other things will include us, I don't know, possibly selling the company?"

"I have no idea. Like I said, we will still have to talk about this a lot once we're back in New York. But right now, after the six months long nightmare we went through, I just feel like I want all the time I can get with you and the kids. I wasn't joking when I said it was going to be hard to let you out of my sight for awhile. Like for example, the few hours you were gone to talk to Steve in private… they were not easy on me."

"Yeah, being separated from you right now isn't easy me either."

"So unless I want to have you and Eva tag along with me to work everyday after I go back…"

"What would be so bad about that? And what about Ethan?"

"He'll be in school. There would nothing bad about having two of the three loves of my life with me. But you'd be a distraction. Plus there is the fact that I don't think it'd take you or Eva all that long to get bored with being there, and when that happens…"

"What? You think we'll do something?"

"I don't _think_ , Tony. I _know_ you would!" she retorted with an eye roll, just picturing all of the mischief her husband and daughter could get into together, "Anyway, our future in the company is something for us to talk about when we go home and not before."

"Yeah, let's forget about this for now. We've only got a few days left here with everyone, so let's make the _most_ of it, starting with Bruce and Betty's wedding."

"Speaking of which, we should probably be heading to bed soon, don't you think? I know we… or rather _you_ agreed to not do extravagant for their wedding, but there's still going to be a little work involved if we're going to get what little we have to get ready for their afternoon nuptials."

"Yeah, I guess it's time to call it the end of the most day amazing with my wife."

A few minutes later they walked back inside their bungalow, and although they trusted BRUTUS to have reported if either of their kids woke up, they went to check up on them anyway. Pepper went to check on their little girl while Tony went into their son's room, and that's where she found him a minute or two later.

He must have sensed her presence because he turned his head to look at her, his voice soft as he said, "I missed his birthday, Pep." He looked back at Ethan, and felt her standing beside him.

"It's not your fault, Tony."

"Maybe not but it's something I swore I would never do to him." He didn't need to say aloud again that celebrating his birthdays with him was something his own father never did with him.

"But you _didn't_ do it to Ethan, Tony. The only two people we have to thank for it are Morgan and Justin Hammer. _They're_ the reasons we missed our little boy's birthday!"

Before Tony could give whatever response he was going to give to what she had said, Ethan stirred in his sleep drawing his parents' attention. They held their breaths, worried they had awakened him. But Ethan only snuggled up to his Iron Man pillow, and sighed as he continued on with sleeping.

Releasing the breath she'd been holding, Pepper whispered, "I think we've better continue this in our room before we wake him up."

"Yeah," her husband agreed with a nod, "I'm going to go look in on Eva first and I'll be in there in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to go get ready for bed."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay."

Pepper was still in the middle of her shower when she felt the cool air hit her back. She looked over her shoulder to see her husband reaching out to turn on his faucet on. She continued to watch him a moment before saying, "You can come over here with me, you know. I wouldn't mind it at all." He smiled at her, shut off his shower, and walked over to her side of the shower where she moved out of the way so he could step under the spray of water.

She heard him mutter, "Mmmm, that feels good." and Pepper didn't doubt it did. She had noticed how since he had returned home from prison, Tony really couldn't get enough of hot showers. He had told her while he was in prison, that while he was allowed two showers a week, they were always lukewarm at best, and were never hot like he liked them to be when he showered except for one time.

Since she was closer to being finished with her shower, Pepper just watched him for a few minutes. Finally after figuring out how to say what she wanted to say, she broke the quiet by beginning with, "Tony?"

"Yes?"

"What you were saying in Ethan's room just a little while ago. I…"

The soap in his hand stilled in its progress, and he looked at her, "Pep?"

Pepper swallowed, "Don't blame yourself for missing Ethan's birthday. It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Then why do I have a hard time believing you're going to keep beating yourself up over this in the future?"

Tony shrugged, and placed his hand on the shut off valve, "Are you finished? With your shower I mean?"

"Yes, I'm finished."

He shut off the water, and turned in her direction, expecting that she would have already exited the shower. Pepper hadn't moved an inch from her spot. Instead she had a look on her face that said she wasn't satisfied with only getting a shrug as an answer from him, and Tony knew if he didn't say what she wanted to hear they'd be here awhile.

"Look, honey, I get what you're saying. I'm not at fault. My head's already told me that Morgan and Hammer are to blame for the fact that the number for me being with my son on his birthday will always be one lower than his actual age."

"And your heart?"

He sighed, his shoulders slumping a little, "It's arguing with my head. Loudly."

She had guessed as much. Stepping even closer to her husband, she laid her hand on his chest over the spot where his heart was, "Tony, you have such an amazing and good heart-"

"I don't know about that, hon-"

" _Let_ me finish, please."

"Sorry."

"Thank you. Now as I was saying, you have such an amazing and good heart," she paused, sensing he was wanting to dispute her words again but instead made himself keep quiet, "And I suppose because of this I can understand how your heart keeps saying it's your fault when it isn't, and it's because your heart is as amazing and good as I said it is. Do you **hear** me?"

He nodded, and sensing she wasn't finished yet, kept quiet.

""I know you wanted to have a perfect record when it comes to our kids for things like always celebrating their birthdays with them, and I am sorry you missed Ethan's eighth birthday. But you know what? As far as I am concerned, you _still_ have a perfect record, and always will because you _want_ to always be with them. I watch you with them and you are such an amazing father with them. Stop tormenting yourself over something you had no control over. Okay?"

"Okay, I'll try."

"No, don't just try. _Do_ it. Give your heart its marching or-"

She never got to finish her sentence as her husband's mouth crashed against hers.


	7. Chapter 7

It was just a little past sunup when Pepper had just taken the last bite of the star apple that was a part of her breakfast when they heard a knock on the door. She looked over at Tony, who was busy with peeling an orange for Eva. Neither of them had any time to do anything more than exchange looks before their AI spoke up.

"Doctor Banner is at the door, Boss."

"Who does he want to-"

Another knock at the door cut off the question, and which was quickly followed by Bruce's familiar voice, "Hey! Tony?"

"Well that answers that question. Tell Bruce I'll be outside in a second, BRUTUS. I need to finish peeling Eva's orange for her."

"Will do, Boss."

Wiping her hands, Pepper held out her hand, "Here I can finish doing that. You go see what Bruce needs."

With a nod, Tony handed up the fruit to his wife before looking at his daughter, "Mommy's going to finish your orange, princess. I'll be back inside as quickly as I can, honey."

"Okay, we'll be finishing up here."

With one last look at his family, Tony went out the front door of their bungalow.

"Side porch, Boss," BRUTUS supplied before he had to ask.

"Thank, Broo."

"No problem, Boss."

He rounded the corner, and found Bruce sitting in one of the lounge chairs.

"And how's the Jolly Green Giant this morning?" Tony boomed, announcing his presence.

Bruce jumped a little, being unaware previously that he had come outside. He stood up, and came over, "Tony, hey! Good morning!"

"Morning, Big Guy! Ready to settle down and tie the knot with the lovely Doctor Betty Ross?

Bruce nodded, rubbing the back of his neck, nervously, "Yeah, I am even if I still can't believe this really happening. I can't believe that I'm not dreaming or that I'm actually going to get to marry Betty today."

"Hey, I thought the same thing when on the day I married Pepper, only I kept expecting her to come to her senses and dump me at the proverbial altar."

"Yeah, she was a bit crazy to go through with marrying you, wasn't she?"

Tony grabbed his chest, as dramatically he possibly as could just short of falling over onto the ground since he didn't want to alarm his friend after all, "Touché, Banner, touché."

"Hey, you said it first, Tony!" Bruce reminded him, shaking his head and smiling before he cleared his throat, "Tony, there's um... there's something I came to ask you."

Although he had a good suspicion that he knew what Bruce wanted to ask him, he still replied with, "Ask away, Big Kahuna!"

"I uh... would you do me the honor… oh no! That's not the right word! We're not getting married!"

"We are indeed not, Doctor Banner! Besides, I'm already a very happily married man!" Thankfully his friend started turning red instead of green with the last part of his remark.

"Um yeah, sorry, that's not what I meant to say. I meant to ask if um you would be... could be my Best Man today?"

"You want _me_ to be your Best Man, hmm?"

The shy scientist gave a nod, then while rubbing the back of his still red neck he went on, "Yes, I do unless you rathered not. It's okay if you don't, I guess I could ask Steve or Clint. I guess there's also Rhodey or Sam… even though I don't really don't Sam well enough to really consider him to be my best friend. I mean aren't you supposed to have your best friend to be your Best Man at your wedding? Isn't that the tradition or something?"

If Bruce had noticed the billionaire beside him first smiling at him in amusement, then rolling his eyes in exasperation, he might have shut up a lot sooner. As he was, he didn't, and he would have kept on rambling if Tony hadn't reached a point where he couldn't take it anymore.

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

"You'll do it?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Bruce! Of course, I'll be one of my best friends' Best Man at his wedding!"

"Oh thank you, Tony!" Banner exclaimed, grabbing his hand, and began shaking it, "Thank you!"

Tony allowed the handshake to go one for about five seconds before he pulled the other man into a decidedly awkward half hug, murmuring, "No problem."

The scientist copied him, allowing the half hug to last for a very short time before pulling back and looking more embarrassed than ever before. He cleared his throat and gestured in the direction of the bungalow he was staying in, "Well, I guess I should um you know, go get ready."

They had considered having a sunset ceremony, but then they'd decided against it. They'd waited long enough to be together, and since their friends had suggested that they have their wedding here, they decided that couldn't wait long enough for sunset to arrive.

With a nod, Tony inquired, "You want me to come with you now or do you want to have some time alone? 'Cause if you do, I'll just go tell Pepper what's up and-" He stopped when Bruce held up a hand.

"No, it's okay, Tony. I think I want just a little more time alone before I take the dive with Betty. Since we're shooting for a ceremony at eleven, how about you and the other guys come over like an hour before?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Pepper emerged from their bungalow, Eva in her arms and Ethan following just behind her. She went over to her husband, kissed him, then said good morning to Bruce.

"How did you sleep?" she asked.

"Better than I thought I would the night before I'm supposed to be getting married."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you were able to sleep." She looked at her man, "Honey, Betty has invited us girls over to her bungalow for a girl talk powwow, and that's where Eva and I were heading."

Tony had noted that his son was looking a little on the sulky side, and he guessed that the boy didn't like the idea of being excluded _because_ he was a boy.

Pepper could see what he was thinking so she supplied, "Betty said it was okay if Ethan and the other boys wanted to come over too, but I thought he'd and they'd have more fun hanging around with the guys than they would with us girls."

"Yeah, probably," he muttered in agreement before turning his attention to his son, "Hey, E-man, want us to get the guys together and go hang out on the beach for a little while while your Mom and sister go do girl stuff with your aunties and cousins?"

The boy gave a sullen shrug in response.

"Aw, come on, Ethan! It'll be a lot of fun!" Bruce piped in.

"Yeah, what he said. Come on, buddy, cheer up! Let the girls go off and have their fun while we guys have ours, okay?"

The boy gave a slow nod, "Okay."

Pepper smiled, very happy that had a positive resolution. She gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek, "I guess we'll see each other right before the wedding?"

"Yeah, I guess we will."

"Have a good time, fellas!" Pepper said, then started off towards Betty's.

Eva waved over her mother's shoulder, "Bye, Daddy, Eta, Unca Bruce!"

The three of them waved to her.

"Bye, Princess! You have fun with Mommy and yours aunties!" Tony called back, and then waited a few seconds until they were out of earshot to turn to his friend, "So Banner, what happened to all of that bull-" He stopped himself from completing that word when Bruce pointed to the boy standing between them, listening to every word they were saying, "Uh... bullooooney about wanting to have some time alone before you say I do?"

"I changed my mind? I know Betty's the bride and changing her mind is a woman's prerogative but in this case I am going to say it's mine too. Besides being alone probably means I have a bigger chance of getting cold feet."

"I think instead of probably, that'd be a more like a roger wilco and all that. You _will_ get cold feet!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence!"

"Hey, I'm just speaking from experience," the billionaire replied, slinging an arm around his shoulders along with Ethan's, and started to pull them towards the beach.

"Wait a second," Bruce said, stopping when his friend's words had absorbed into his brain, "You got cold feet before you married Pepper?"

It soon became clear that Tony didn't want to answer or elaborate on the question, by the fact he changed the subject.

"Aww Brucie, you know with this whole affair being so last second, I'm not going to have the time to come up with something to totally embarrass you with in my Best Man's speech!"

The mild-mannered scientist gave the billionaire a smile, "I know! That's _exactly_ what I'm counting on!"

"Awww! Spoilsport!"

They arrived at the beach, and of course they were the only three there.

"Uh, I guess we kinda forgot to ask the guys to come here," Bruce said, looking around at the shore.

"Have no fear, Jolly Green Man, I can fix that very easily!" Tony informed him, holding up his watch and giving it a tap, "BRUTUS, do me a favor and tells the guys where we are. Ask them all if they'd like to join the groom and me on the beach for some fun while the girls engage in their hen festivities."

"Will do, Boss."

"Thanks, BRUTUS. In the meantime, gentlemen, while we're waiting for the guys to arrive why don't we warm up the old volleyball court?" He went over to the area and picked up the ball where Clint had left it after the end of the last game, "Come on, Bruce!"

Bruce walked towards the court with Ethan but stayed on the side when they reached it. Rubbing the back of his neck he said, "I uh don't really play volleyball, Tony."

"Yeah I have kinda noticed, Banner. In any case I wasn't asking for a game! I just want to warm up the court by us hitting the ball back and forth across the net."

"Ah you and Ethan go ahead. I'll watch," he replied, taking a seat on one of the beach blankets.

"Aww, Uncle Bruce!" Ethan whined, "Come play with us!"

Bruce had his mouth opened to respond to the boy but Tony beat him to it.

"No, that's okay, sport. If Uncle Bruce doesn't want to hit the ball back and forth with us, he doesn't have to. Now go get on the other side of the net and I'll hit the ball over to you, okay?"

Ethan nodded, and walked around the net.

"Ready, champ?"

"Uh huh ready, Daddy!"

Tossing the ball up, Tony gently hit it over the net and then watched to see what his son did. Ethan got under the ball, and he hit the ball back up into the air. But as it turned out, he wasn't tall enough to get the ball back over the net. When he hit the ball, it went straight into the net and bounced right back him, hitting him on the side of his face.

"Oh my..." Tony exclaimed before crossing over to his side of the court where the boy was holding his face, "Are you okay, Ethan?"

The look on Ethan's face was one of stunned surprise but to his relief, Tony didn't see any pain there. He reached out to place a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Ethan?"

Finally Ethan blinked, and looked at him, "I'm okay, Daddy. It didn't really hurt or anything. The ball coming back at me like that, it just surprised me is all.

"Whew, I'm so glad that it didn't hurt you!" he said, giving the little boy a relieved hug.

"Me too!"

When Bruce appeared in the corner of his eye, Tony his head.

"Hey, are you okay, bud?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"That's-"

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Clint's voice came from behind, "We've only got a few hours to throw you a bachelor party!"

Bruce might have been about to say something against the idea, but his words died in his throat because of course they'd all brought their sons with them too. This wouldn't be a bachelor party in the traditional sense of the word, and not just because the kids were here. No, this was a bit of a last minute thing which made it impossible for anyone to have planned out.

It was especially a too minute of a last minute thing for Tony, as Best Man, to have planned the bachelor party since he only minutes ago accepted Bruce's request. As he watched Sam uncap and hand the man he would stand by today as married the woman he loved a... wait was that a _root_ beer? His question was answered not two seconds later when Steve opened and handed the bottle to his son Jamie. Yes, it was definitely _root_ beer!

Shrugging mentally, he decided to just go along with the flow since he definitely had not been on the planning of this little get together.

Rhodey's voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked over at his oldest friend in the world.

"Want one?" Rhodey asked, holding up one of the root beers.

With a nod, he accepted the beverage, and clinked his against Rhodey's when his was held out just for that.

"So what did you have in mind, fellas? How can we get wild and crazy while keeping it G rated?"


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Epilogue and grand finale of _this_ fic.

Sorry, guest, I could not change my plans!

* * *

 **November 29, 2021**

The seaplane took graceful flight into the sky, as the Starks and Banners looked on. All their hands were raised, waving in farewell to the plane's occupants until it disappeared from sight.

"Well, I guess you guys are next, unless you two have changed your minds about staying on the island a little longer?" Tony teased the newlyweds.

Bruce turned his head to look at the billionaire but didn't get a response out before Pepper did.

"Tony, don't-"

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Can we go swimming?" Eva's little voice broke in, and she felt tugs on the skirt of her sundress.

Smiling at the other adults she looked down at her daughter, "Eva sweetie, Mommy is having a conversation with Daddy, and Uncle Bruce, and Aunt Betty..." Neither her or Tony failed to notice how much Betty seems to glow whenever they refer to her as _Aunt Betty_ in front of their kids, "and you interrupted Mommy, which isn't polite to do."

The little girl seemed only slightly deterred by her mother's gentle reminder of manners, immediately issuing a "Sowwy, Mommy." before she repeated her question.

"Thank you for apologizing," Pepper told her, then shaking her head, "No, baby, I am sorry but you and brother can't go swimming right now."

Eva's hopeful smile disappeared, replaced by a pouty scowl, "Mommy!"

"Ah ah ah! None of that, little miss!" Tony intervened, "Mommy said no, and that's what she meant. Now, what don't you and brother go find some pretty seashells for Daddy, hmm?"

Ethan who had been watching the exchange between his parents and sister motioned for her to come over to him, "Come on, Evie! Let's get some good shells!"

Eva's pout lasted for a few seconds more, and then she took off in her big brother's direction.

Tony threw a thumbs up in his son's direction, smiling proudly at the boy before returning his attention back to their previously interrupted conversation.

"Stay close where we can see you!" Pepper called out before they got too far down the beach.

"So, there is absolutely no way for us to talk you two into staying here for a few days?" Tony repeated his earlier question.

Bruce and Betty exchanged a glance before she sighed, telling them, "I'd really like to be able to stay for a little while longer, but I really need to get back for work."

Tony opened his mouth to try again but didn't get out one word before his wife's hand was covering his mouth. A few mumbling sounds could be heard from underneath her palm before Pepper looked over at their friends, telling them, "I won't say I wasn't hoping you'd take us up on this offer because we'd both really like to give you the gift of total privacy for these first few days of you guys being newlyweds. But I understand why you can't and _we_ respect you both doing whatever it is you need to do. Isn't that right, Tony?"

But she didn't remove her hand so he could answer, he just nodded his agreement instead.

"Thank you, Pepper," Bruce muttered.

"So," the billionaire began carefully once his wife's hand finally dropped, "I guess you'll be on the next flight out of here then." He knew he didn't sound all that happy about it but he also knew Pepper was right and he had to let it go.

"Yeah, I guess we are... unless..." the mild-mannered scientist drew out, looking at his wife, "Betty, maybe we could stay just another couple of days?"

"Bruce..." She started, stopped, and sighed, "I really need to get back soon."

"I know, I know you do but maybe a couple more days wouldn't hurt?"

Sensing the newlyweds needed to talk about this, Tony reached out for Pepper's hand, and together they drifted towards the direction where their kids were still looking for seashells.

"Hey, squirts, find any seashells yet?" Tony asked when they reached them.

Eva turned around, and held up a big seashell, "Look at what I found, Daddy!"

Her brother huffed, "You didn't find it, Evie! I found it!"

"No, you didn't!"

"Yes, I did!"

"No, you didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did-"

"Kids!" Pepper interjected when she couldn't take their bickering anymore, "It doesn't matter which one of you found the seashell! What matters is it's a very pretty seashell, and I'm sure your Daddy's going to love finding a place of honor for it when we get back home. Right, honey?"

"Right, honey! Absolutely!" he agreed, turning the seashell over and over in his hands. It was a sizable, spiral, multi-colored seashell with pink, blue, and purple over its three sections, and making sure both of the kids knew he was talking to them said, "It's a really **great** seashell!"

Both of them beamed at his praise.

Casting a glance at his wife, he asked, "I've got a great seashell to put on my desk, so why don't you both look for one for Mommy too? We don't want her to be left out now do we?"

"No, Daddy!" they replied in unison before they started searching the shore again.

"Nicely handled there, Mrs. Stark."

"Not so bad yourself, Mr. Stark."

Pepper started to lean in, intending to kiss him when the small voice belonging to their daughter called out to them.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

"Honey, _your_ daughter always has the best timing," Tony groused.

"The same can be said about _your_ son, dear."

"Mommy!"

With a mutual sigh, they broke apart, and went to see what their daughter wanted.

They hunted for seashells as a family for a few more minutes before they were joined by Bruce and Betty.

It was Bruce who spoke, "Tony? Pepper? Can we talk to you both a moment?"

They both gave a nod, while Pepper told the kids they'd be right back and to keep close by.

Tony waited for his wife to join them to ask, "So what's up, Brucie boy?"

"Well we uh... we've decided that we want to stay here. It'd just be for a few days, but we want to stay."

"Yes!" The cheer, of course, came from Tony, who gave an fist pump, "I _knew_ you guys would change your minds! I just knew it!"

The other three adults rolled their eyes, and shook their heads in amusement.

"Well, if you're both staying, that means _we're_ up next to leave," mused Pepper.

"Yep," her husband replied, glancing at his watch, "We've got twelve minutes left before the next plane comes in. I'd say it's time we start getting the kiddos to wrap it up!"

"Yes," his wife agreed before turning back to the newlyweds, "As we said before, you're both free to stay here for as long as you want."

"Thank you, Pepper." Betty said softly.

"Oh, Betty, there's no need to thank us! Neither of you ever have to thank us because you are a part of our family!"

The other woman blushed, and nodded.

"Okay, let us go wrangle the rugrats down, and we'll say our byes to you on the dock."

The other couple gave a nod, and hand in hand, walked back towards the dock where the seaplane would come to pick up its next passengers. A few minutes went by as they waited, but eventually the Starks joined them. The kids took a seat on the dock, with their legs hanging off and swinging them as they watched the horizon for the seaplane.

"We don't know how long you're planning to stay, we'll totally leave that up to you guys. But please know we mean what we've said. You can stay only a few days if you like or you can stay until the start of the new hurricane season if that's what you want too."

Their eyebrows went up into the air.

"Yeah, what Pepper said."

"Okay, we don't think we'll stay for _that_ long, but we're definitely going to stay for a few days for sure."

Tony pulled something out of his pocket, "I know you're both familiar with BRUTUS but you can only currently talk to him when you're inside. But, with this," he paused, holding up the object in his hand, "you'll be able to talk to him from **anywhere** on the island." He gave Bruce the watch.

After staring at the expensive accessory in his hand, the scientist took off his normal watch, and replaced it with the new one, "Thanks, Tony."

The billionaire nodded.

"Now, the next thing we wanted to let you know is that, you can stay in the same bungalow that you've already been staying in. Or, if you want to, you guys can use the big house."

"You mean the one where you, Tony, and the kids stayed in?"

Pepper nodded, "That's exactly the one I mean."

"Thanks, but uh I think the one we've been staying in will be fine."

"Okay, that's fine. We just wanted you to know you have the option to stay in the big house if you want to."

"Thanks."

Before another word could be said, they all heard Ethan call out, "Look the plane's coming! The plane's coming, Daddy, Mommy!"

Tony looked over his shoulder, and saw it approaching on the horizon, "Well, I guess that's our cue then."

They moved to the end of the dock to watch and wait for the incoming seaplane. It took the plane several more minutes to arrive which was perfect since there was one more point they wanted to go over with the Banners before they left.

"Before we go, there is more thing we should tell you before we leave," Pepper began, and waited a few seconds before going on, "And that's what you should do whenever you're ready to leave."

"It's really easy and you might have already figured it out," her husband added.

"But in case you haven't, all you need to do whenever you're ready to leave is tell BRUTUS to make travel arrangements for you. He'll arrange for a plane to come pick you up and take you to the airport."

"Okay, that sounds easy enough."

"Should be easy peasy. Right, BRUTUS?"

"Right, Boss!"

Any further conversation was cut off by the landing of the seaplane. They remained silent as the seaplane circled around in the water and then approached the dock.

"Come over here, kiddos!" Tony called out to get them to move so the plane could dock.

The kids got up and went to stand by their Dad, who in turn put arm around his son's shoulders while his little girl grasped his hand. Once the plane was close enough, the co-pilot hopped out onto the deck and tethered the plane to it then greeted them, "Hey there, Mr. Stark, Mrs. Stark."

"Hi John."

"Hi, everything ready to go for one more flight?"

"Yes, ma'am. We're all set and ready to go whenever you are. Just come on board the plane whenever you're ready, and in the meantime, I'll see to your bags."

"Thanks, John."

"No problem, Mr. Stark." the man said with a tired smile before he went about seeing to their few bags.

 _I think I need to give them a nice bonus for all the flights they've made back and forth today._

 _"Yes, you do."_ Were the words he could practically _hear_ Pepper thinking when she looked at him with a knowing smile.

Still smiling they both turned to their friends, "Well I guess this is it . We're heading back to _civilization_ and the quote unquote real world."

Bruce nodded, as did his wife, before he asked, "You heading back to New York?"

"Yeah, we are."

"Well, we wish you guys a safe trip back home."

"Thanks, Bruce," Pepper said, reaching out to hug him, "You two have a safe trip home whenever you decide to leave too."

"Thanks, Pepper," he replied and watched as she moved on to hug his wife.

Looking at Tony, he hesitated then decided to just got for it, and hugged the billionaire too, "I'm so glad you're okay, Tony, coz it'd be hard to imagine a world without you around in it."

"Yeah, it would, wouldn't it?" Tony retorted in a conceited tone as they parted. "I mean I'm one of a kind the whole universe over."

Bruce however knew the truth when he looked in his friend's eyes, and just shook his head. Once Betty had said her goodbyes to Tony, they told the kids to say their goodbyes to their Aunt and Uncle, and then they all boarded the seaplane.

Of course the Banners stayed long enough to wave goodbye to Tony, Pepper, Ethan, and Eva as the plane took off before they went for a late day walk on the beach.

* * *

 **December 31, 2021**

"Come on, Eta!" Franky said in an emphatic voice while tugging on his older cousin's arm, "I got something t'show ya!"

Pepper watched with a smile as her son took off running after the other little boy, calling out a last second, "Be good for your Aunt Natasha and Uncle Clint!"

"I will! Byyyyyyyyyyye, Mommy!"

Since Eva had already disappeared down the hallway with Nadia, Pepper looked back at Natasha, "Thank you, Nat, for you and Clint for letting them spend the night tonight."

"You're welcome, of course, but you know there's really no need to thank us because we love having them," Natasha replied, and lowering her voice she added, "Especially Clint. I mean by the time we get them all to bed he'll be just as tired as they are." For someone who was such a serious SHIELD agent, Clint was equally a kid at heart when it came to free time with his kids, and it was no secret he loved playing just as hard with his kids as they did.

"Well, thank you anyway. I'll talk to Tony about us returning the favor for you and Clint soon," Pepper replied, glancing at her watch, "Ooh, look at the time. I need to be going. I've got an appointment to keep if I want to be ready for tonight." She turned, stepped into the waiting elevator, and said, "Tell the kids that either their Daddy or I will be down to get them in the morning."

"Okay, I will. Enjoy your night, and happy New Year to you and Tony."

"And a very Happy New Year to you, and Clint, and the kids too!"

"Oh, and happy anniversary!"

"Thank you!"

Pepper waited for the elevator's doors to close behind her before she asked, "JARVIS, is Tony still in the workshop?"

"No, Ma'am. Sir has relocated to the penthouse and is currently preparing for your evening together."

Smiling, she said, "In that case, JARVIS, would you please take me to my floor instead then?"

The doors opened, "I had anticipated your request, and therefore had taken the liberty of rerouting the elevator to your personal floor instead of the penthouse."

"Thank you, JARVIS."

"My pleasure, Ma'am."

She had spent a couple of hours out shopping after dropping the kids off on the Bartons' floor, buying a few things that she knew her husband would love and would make their celebratory night together even more special.

Pepper stepped out onto the floor located just below the floor with Tony's workshop, and set down her shopping bags, then continued towards the bathroom where she could hear her shower water already running.

"Is the water's temperature to your satisfaction, Ma'am?" JARVIS asked when she stuck her hand under the stream a minute later.

"Yes, it is. Thank you, JARVIS."

She could hear the smile in his voice when the electronic butler replied, "You are most welcome, Ma'am."

Pepper enjoyed her shower, and then got dressed at a leisurely but not too slow of a pace so that their meal together would be dinner and _not_ a midnight snack. She paused in putting on her lipstick, the last thing she needed to apply so she could a ask, "Is Tony ready, JARVIS?"

"Sir is indeed ready and awaiting your presence, Ma'am."

Satisfied with her appearance, she slipped on her shoes, then entered the elevator. She didn't have to press a button or speak to tell JARVIS which floor she wanted to go to because the AI already knew,. The journey upstairs only took a moment before the doors opened again, and Pepper the sight that took Her breath was taken away with the sight of her husband standing in the middle of the room dressed in a black tux with his hand held out towards her, his eyes shining with his love for her.

She glided over to him, noting that he too was having difficulty breathing as his eyes roamed, caressing her form as they moved up and down. For this occasion she had chosen a floor length dress that was the _exact_ same color as the one she was wearing the first time they danced with each other at the firemen's ball, all those years ago, only this time the dress had an illusion neckline instead of the V-neck she'd chosen the first time.

Their hands intertwined as he marveled, "You look... I wish I had a _new_ word to describe how you look instead of using one of the old, tired ones."

Pepper stepped into his personal space, and resting her free hand on his chest smirked, "Oh, I think one of the old, tired ones will do very nicely, Mr. Stark."

"In that case, you look beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, breathtaking, heart stopping _ravageable_!"

"I think you meant ravishing."

"No, I meant _exactly_ what I said, honey. You are completely, totally, and utterly are looking ravageable right now."

Running her fingers along the lapel of her husband's tux, she simply stated, "You're not so bad yourself."

He sputtered, his jaw falling to the floor before he said, "I give you all of that, and all you can say is _'You're not so bad yourself'_?"

She allowed it to go on for another second, and then looking him in the eye said, "You're looking quite ravageable yourself as well." She then kissed him, her hand going up to his hair where they curled around his locks, quietening any further comments he may have had.

For the next couple of minutes they were lost in each other until Tony pulled back to breathlessly, his eyes dark as he asked, "Want to skip dinner for some early fireworks?"

"I'd be all up for skipping dinner, except I am actually hungry." She could tell he was a bit disappointed so she added, "Hey, I promise we'll celebrate _later_ , but for right now, could we have dinner?"

He nodded, "Hit it, J."

"Very good, Sir."

Pepper raised a curious eyebrow at him, wondering what him and the AI were talking about when her husband took her hand then tucked it into the crook of his arm.

"Our table is awaiting us below," he explained, walking them towards the elevator.

"I see. So what was the _'hit it'_ thing with JARVIS about?"

"You'll see in three, two, one."

His timing had been perfect as the elevator doors opened to reveal a table had been set in the middle of the floor open space. A white silk pathway lit with soft lanterns lined the way to the table set for two, with candles contributing to the warm , intimate glow of the room. On either side of the table were stationed were two young men and a third one standing a little off to the side of them. She couldn't help but immediately think of scenes from Downton Abbey because of how they were dressed. Tony escorted his wife to her chair, and made sure she was comfortably seated before settling in across from her.

Their servers went into almost immediate motion, setting the first course in front of each of them. When Pepper arched an eyebrow at her husband, he shrugged, and explained, "I may or may not have taken the liberty of ordering both of our favorite meals from Le Lion Privé."

"Good choice," she replied, picking up her fork, and taking a bite of her salad.

"It's been a wonderful night… the perfect evening really," Pepper murmured, her head laying on her husband's shoulder as she watched the flames dance.

After they'd finished dessert, they'd relocated to the living room where they'd had spent a few hours talking, dancing, and laughing. Now it was a little past midnight, the New Year properly rang, and the fireworks were beautiful.

"I sense a but in there somewhere I think."

She nodded, and yawned before saying, "But I think I'm about ready to go to bed now. It's getting late, and as wonderful as our celebration's been, I'm starting to get sleepy."

"Okay, we'll go to bed."

After kissing the side of her head, Tony stood up, and immediately turned to help her up. Pepper took the hand he offered her and let him help her to her feet. Intertwined in each other's arms, they leisurely made their way towards their bedroom.

As they neared the door, Pepper noted a faint glow was spilling out of their room and into the hallway but she thought nothing of it. After all, it wasn't unusual for JARVIS to have already turned on the lamps in the room for them. So she kept walking, not really thinking too much of the soft light spilling into the hallway until she realized it was flickering. However the thought to stop and ask why it was flickering came too late, and they stepped into their bedroom.

"Oh my…"

"Do you like it?"

She continued to look around the room, "Do I like it? Oh Tony, it's beautiful!" She turned to give him a long, soft kiss, her hands making their way up to running their way through his hair, and finally they broke apart breathless. She then turned back to look at the room again while she caught her breath, laying her head on his shoulder as she looked.

All around them, on every surface, elegant white candles had been set up and burning with their soft light. Surrounding the candles' base, were the multicolored petals of likely every rose known to man. The petals weren't just spread on the flat surfaces of their room, but also across the floor, leading up to their bed where the covers were already turned back, and even more petals, red only this time, had been sprinkled all over the sheets.

"I'll take that as a yes," Tony quipped after a minute.

"Yes, I love it so much," Pepper said, tearing her eyes away briefly to kiss him again, and then looking back, "But when… how did you do all this with me knowing it?"

"Well, you were gone for a long time after dropping the kids off on the BlackHawk floor."

Pepper rolled her eyes at the BlackHawk reference, then said, "But I thought you said you had some things to do before tonight got here."

"That's because I did, which was all of this, along with making sure the finishing touches on our private, romantic were put on, and then getting myself ready."

"Which took all of twenty minutes."

"Which took all of twenty minutes yeah, but I'm a guy, and I didn't hear any complaints from you about the results of my twenty minute efforts. I heard that eye roll by the way."

"And I felt you puffing up like a peacock," his wife countered, "So you can look ravishingly handsome in only twenty minutes. I have to take a little longer-"

"And have you ever heard any complaints from me about how long it takes for you to make yourself this heart attack inducing gorgeous?"

"No… no I haven't actually. I always thought you liked the results as the reason why I never heard any grumbling."

"Yeah that would be exactly why, and if you keep looking like this, honey, you are never going to hear any grumbling from me."

"I'll keep that in mind for future reference."

"Seriously, Pep, every time I have looked at you tonight, I've had some breathing problems."

"Are you saying I'm breathtaking?"

"More like breath stealing."

"Thanks, you aren't so bad yourself."

Silence fell over the room as Pepper looked around them again, and ended when a realization hit her, "How long have the candles been burning? Have they been lit since earlier this evening ?"

"Uh…"

Raising her head she looked at him, "They haven't, have they? I mean there's hardly any melted wax. So that means-"

"That they're magic candles from Asgard. Yeah, that's it. They're magic Asgardian candles."

"Tony."

The tone of her voice said she knew he was trying to feed her some bull.

Tony sighed, "Okay, okay. They're not magic candles from Asgard."

"Then what… someone's been in here since we got back?"

A nod from him answered her question.

"Who?"

"Does it matter?"

Pepper was silent a moment, then shook her head, "No, I suppose it doesn't."

"So are you still sleepy?"

"Actually, I think I'm a little more awake than I was a little while ago. Why? Have something else in mind?"

Tony nodded, and taking her hand, walked them to the center of their room. He moved to stand in front of her, and just at the moment Pepper had been about to ask what he was doing, he said, "Dance with me?"

Even as she wondered what he was up to, Pepper murmured a soft, "Okay."

After re-positioning the hand holding hers so it was better for dancing, and placing the other one on her waist, Tony said a familiar phrase from earlier in the night, "Hit it, J." Music filled the room before she could say anything else, watching as his wife's eyes lit up, and she smiled, "I take it you recognize it?"

Pepper could only nod in response as a voice began to sing.

Livin' with me, it ain't easy

But I do it every day

And sometimes even now

I wanna run away.

"Wait, that's not the same singer who…" Her eyes were as big as any supermoon in the cloudless sky, "It's you! You're the one singing, aren't you?"

Tony smiled, and confirmed her suspicions with a nod.

At his confirmation, a million questions flashed through Pepper's head, and for a second she considered firing off some of them. But then she stopped herself, deciding any questions she had could wait until the song finished playing. Right now, she decided, it was more important to savor being touched by her husband, and listen to his voice… his voice singing the song she remembered dancing to on their wedding day.

When the song ended a few minutes later, she looked into his eyes with gleaming eyes of her own, "That was so…"

"Awful? Horrible? Traumatizing?"

"Try amazing, wonderful, captivating!"

"Really, Pep, you won't hurt my feelings if you're honest. I know I don't have the best voice in the world but-" He only stopped talking because his wife's hand was suddenly covering his mouth.

"What I said, is my honest opinion or I wouldn't have said it. You actually have a great singing voice, and now that I know you have one, I'd love to hear it more often from here on out. Okay?"

Tony nodded, and said something underneath her hand that sounded like an okay.

Satisfied that he finally understood that she loved it, Pepper laid her head on his shoulder, and said, "JARVIS, play the song again please?"

If JARVIS had an actual physical body he would have had a huge smile on his face to accompany the smile in his voice when he replied, "Certainly, Ma'am."


	9. Chapter 9

**January 22, 2022**

Muttering a few choice words under his breath, Rhodey shook his head and yanked out the lopsided knot from the tie before starting over. In the corner of his eye he saw Tony's reflection shaking in the mirror from the laughter he wasn't really attempting to hold in. He glared at his friend as best he could while he kept trying to get the knot right, "You're not helping you know!"

Tony continued laughing and nodded, "I know but you can consider this payback for how much help you were right before my wedding to Pepper!"

A growl followed by another few expletives as Rhodey yanked his tie off yet again, "Are you going to keep laughing at me or try to do something help instead?"

"Oh, laughing at your complete EPIC failure in this is entirely too fun for me to stop now," the billionaire gleefully retorted.

"Tony! Come on seriously man!"

Wiping his eyes, Tony held up his phone saying, "Relax, platypus, I've called for reinforcements."

"Not Moni I hope! Please tell me that you didn't send her a message-"

Tony gave him a, "oh please it's ME" look, "Again would you relax? I didn't call the soon-to-be Mrs. Rhodey to help her soon-to-be husband tie his tie after he's spent _how_ many years in the military having the PERFECTLY tied knot whenever he needed it before?"

Shaking his head, he started fiddling with the offending part of his attire again, and said without any real heat to back up the words, "You're a real jerk, you know that? Right?"

"And you're just _now_ figuring that out?" Tony retorted. "Seriously-" A knock on the door interrupted whatever he had been about so he said instead, "Ah that must be my better half now."

Rhodey snorted, "Don't you mean your _way better_ half?"

Giving his friend a smirk, Tony went over to open the door, "Oh good, it is you, Pep! Please come in and help my best friend before he falls over from a heart attack!"

Pepper came into the room, and went over to the man indicated, immediately straightening the tie up, "Don't worry I'll have this fixed in less than a minute."

"Good 'cause Tony has been way too busy laughing at me to be of _any_ real help!"

"Tony!" Pepper said in a scolding tone.

""What?" he replied innocently.

"I think the best man is supposed to help the groom, not laugh at or mock his nerve induced difficulties!"

Tony rolled his eyes, and pointed a finger at Rhodey, "Oh yeah right! Be helpful! Do you have _any_ idea how actually not helpful this guy to me was right before our wedding?"

Pepper shakes her head as she finishes with getting the tie on perfectly straight, "You could still be nicer and not harass Jim!"

"It's okay, Pepper," Rhodey said, straightening his jacket, "In Tony's defense, I guess I need to admit that I was pretty awful to him right before you guys got married."

"Still," she countered, giving her husband a pointed look, "He should be helping you, not giving you payback for that."

Tony smirked at his wife, "Well they do say that payback's a…"

Pepper held up a finger, "Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence, Tony Stark!"

The look he gave her was one of confused innocence, "What? All I was gonna say was that it's a dish best served cold. Honestly, Pep, get your mind out of the gutter, woman!"

His wife and best friend both gave him a knowing look before she kissed him on the cheek anyway, then turned to leave, "Well, I need to get back to the bride's suite to make sure the flower girls ~~is~~ are all ready to go. I'll see you both inside the chapel. Oh, and Mr. Stark?"

"Yes, Mrs. Stark?"

" _Behave_."

He smiled at her, and waggled his eyebrows but didn't verbally reply to her. Shaking her head, ~~and after shaking her head~~ she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then turning back to her husband's best friend, she told him, "I've done my best with him. Sorry if he continues to give you grief."

Rhodey shrugged, "I've been through worse."

When she hesitated in leaving he added, "I'm sure I'll live through _anything_ he can throw at me because there's no way in the world I am going to miss marrying the incredible woman who is waiting to become my wife."

"We'll see about that, Sourpatch!"

"Remind me again _why_ I asked you to be my Best Man?"

"Because…"

Shaking her head at their antics, Pepper made her exit.

* * *

 **February 16, 2022**

 _TONY AND VIRGINIA STARK ANNOUNCE SELLOUT OF STARK INDUSTRIES_

New York City, New York - Yesterday, at a specially scheduled press conference, Mr. Tony Stark, son of late U.S. contractor/weapons manufacturer magnate Howard Stark, and Virginia Potts Stark announced their departure from the very company Mr. Stark's esteemed father founded.

"Last year, I _almost_ lost my husband, not because he was critically injured during a fight with the Avengers. No, I almost lost him because a Stark family member decided he wanted the _entirety_ of the family wealth as his own. He was so determined to for it to be his own that he would let nothing stand in his way. _Nothing_ , ladies and gentlemen. Let that sink in and remember that nothing meant even if he had to take the lives of innocent NYPD policemen and federal agents in order to frame my husband for their murders, because he hoped Tony would be sentenced to death, and that he be executed sooner rather than later.

This was the answer given by Potts Stark when they were asked by reporters why they've made the decision to sellout of Stark Industries right at this specific moment in time.

The surprises did not end with the announcement of their sell out of Stark Industries as Mr. Stark also announced he has stepped down from the Avengers along with his official retirement as Iron Man, both are effective _immediately_.

When they were asked what the future may hold for them, and their family, both gave an enigmatic smile then Mrs. Stark said: "Hopefully there will be a lot of peace, laughter, love, and joy in our future."


	10. Chapter 10

**September 26, 2022**

When the doorbell rang, Bruce heard his wife give an exasperated "Ohhh!" from upstairs which was quickly followed by, "That's probably them now. Bruce, would you mind getting that? I'm not quite finished with getting a certain little boy ready yet!"

"Sure, honey," he called back, feeding his daughter one more spoonful of cereal before getting up. He gave her a quick kiss on her head full of dark, beautiful hair and said, "Daddy will be right back, sweetheart."

The baby girl smiles up at him, inserting her little fist into her mouth as she watches him walk to the front door.

Bruce blows her a kiss, and then unlocks the door, opening it wide to the people on the other side, "Tony! Pepper!" Although he's sure that Tony was the one to ring the doorbell it's Pepper who is standing closest to the door, and so she's the one who gets the first welcoming gesture, which is a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"You too, Bruce! We've missed you and Betty around the tower!" Pepper replied, returning the hug then stepping out of the way so the men can greet each other.

Bruce shrugs as he bumps fists with Tony before they clasp hands in a handshake, "Yeah well, we've missed you too, both of you and everyone. But when we decided on doing this… on adopting the twins, we just _had_ to get out of the city."

"Sure, we understand," Pepper said, as she tried to peek around him before asking, "Is that her? Is that one of the twins?"

"Uh huh," Bruce said, walking back over to the high chair where the baby girl was reaching out for her Daddy.

Although her little hands were a little messy from the mashed fruit she had been eating along with the cereal he had been feeding her, Bruce didn't hesitate to pick her up into his arms, picking up a napkin as he did to clean her hands and mouth. He turned around, and said, "Prisha, say hello to your Auntie Pepper and Uncle Tony."

The baby stared at them wide-eyed.

Pepper stepped closer, and said gently, "Hello, sweetheart." She looked up at Bruce, "Do you think she'd let me hold her?"

"Well we can try, but don't be surprised if she's a little shy."

Nodding Pepper extended her hands to take the little girl, but the baby turned her head around, and buried her face in Bruce's neck with a whimper. He rubbed her back, and spoke to her in a language that neither Tony or Pepper couldn't understand. The baby turned her head back around to shyly peeked at them for only a few seconds before burying her face against her Daddy's neck again.

"Sorry," Bruce said to them as he continued to rub the little girl's back.

"Oh, there's no need to apologize, Bruce. After all, she doesn't know us right now," Pepper said.

"No, but I hope we have the opportunity to change that so they both can get to know you," Betty said entering with a baby boy in her arms.

"And who is this handsome little man here?"

"This," the other woman said with a wide, proud smile, "is Devansh Bruce Banner. Devansh sweetheart, this is your Aunt Pepper… or do you prefer Aunt Ginny?"

"Oh, Pepper is fine," she reassured Betty.

Or at least it would be fine until they started talking, and if they had a hard time saying Pepper, they could always switch back to Ginny then.

Betty nodded, and began again, "Okay, this is your Aunt Pepper, and Uncle Tony."

The little boy had been staring wide eyed at them just like his sister, and unlike his sister, he surprised them by reaching his arms out towards Tony. Surprised, the adults stood there long enough for the baby to whine and reach for Tony again when he wasn't taken by the person he seemed to want.

Tony looked at his wife with a smirk then stepped closer to Betty, and with her okay, gently pulled the Devansh into his arms.

"I wouldn't be too puffed up if I were you, Tony," Bruce said, "He probably just wants your-"

Before he could finish the warning, the baby reached up, and pulled Tony's sunglasses off of his face.

"Glasses."

It was now Pepper's turn to smirk as the little boy promptly put the glasses up to his mouth, and began chewing on them. Betty was quick to pry the sunglasses away from the baby, and hand them over to Bruce while she took back a now unhappy and crying Devansh from his uncle's arms.

"Sorry about that, Tony," she apologized as she rubbed her son's back, trying to calm him down from his disappointed upset.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Bruce echoed while he walked over to a playpen in the corner, "I guess we should have thought to warn you about the fact he's got a fascination for glasses of _any_ kind right now." As he spoke, he gently set his daughter down in the playpen.

"Yeah, Bruce can't even hold him right now wearing his glasses," Betty added.

Meanwhile Prisha quickly made it clear that she didn't like being put down, and her little face crumbled as she held her little arms out to her Daddy, wanting to be picked up again.

"Oh, baby, don't cry. Daddy will be right back. I just need to go wash off the yucky spit your brother got all over Uncle Tony's nice sunglasses."

"I can do it, Bruce," Pepper said, appearing at his side, "If you'll just point me in the direction of the kitchen or the bathroom."

He turned around and pointed to a door in the corner, "Right through there, and thank you." He returned to pick up the little baby girl just in time before she really got upset, although a few crocodile tears still did roll down her face. "Awww, sweetie, Daddy's here. Don't cry." He rubbed her back while the baby laid her head down on his shoulder.

Pepper was about to go into the kitchen to wash off the sunglasses when Tony stopped her.

"I'll do it," he said, taking them from her.

"Okay."

"Be right back."

She nodded, and turned back to their friends as he disappeared into the kitchen. Sitting back down, she watched them both for a moment, noting how both of the twins were calm now.

"So, how is the neighborhood?"

"Oh, it's been really great so far," Betty answered, "Our neighbors seem to be great."

Bruce nodded, confirming, "Yeah even if some of them are a little bit um... _odd_."

"Bruce!"

"Well some of them are, honey! Like take Mrs. Oldathenian, for example."

"She is not odd! Just because she has more than one cat does not make her odd!"

"Come on, Betty, she's the classic cat lady of the neighborhood!"

"She is not!" she replied back then looked at Pepper, "She has all of ten cats!"

"Ten cats? Wow, that is a lot of cats but I thought in order for a lady to qualify as a _classic cat lady_ they had to have at least twenty or more cats."

"Maybe twenty or more is the usual number to qualify but I still say it only has to be ten in this case because her house is one of the smaller ones on this block and ten cats in a small house has to make it feel like twenty or more!"

Before Betty could respond to that statement, Tony emerged from the kitchen, "So what did I miss?"

"Oh, Bruce and Betty were just telling me about one of their neighbors."

"Ah, I see. Got any really _interesting_ ones around here?"

"Oh, we have a few."

"Are you going to share all the juicy details with us?"

"Tony!"

"What?"

Pepper rolled her eyes and looked at the other couple, "You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to."

"Awww, Pep!"

"Oh, Pepper, Tony, I really wish you guys hadn't done this!" Betty fussed as she opened the largest of the three wrapped gift boxes.

It'd taken awhile to get her to call them by their given names but at last they had _finally_ reached the point where she felt comfortable with being so informal with them.

"Well, I _wasn't_ planning to originally but then Tony showed me what's in that box… and well I may have given in just a bit!" Pepper said sheepishly.

"Hey! Are you blaming me for _you_ getting carried away buying all the gifts you totally intended to buy all along?" Tony retorted.

"Completely, and totally!"

He huffed but was unable to continue with the play bickering as Betty finally pushed back the tissue paper in the box, and pulled out the first item inside.

"Oh my… these are just way too adorable!" She held up a pink onesie for Bruce to read that said _OLDER & WISER_, followed by a white one that said _YOUNGER & CUTER_.

There were nine other sets of onesies in the box. Betty oohed and aahed over each one as she pulled them out. She especially loved the _Thing 1/Thing 2_ , _Ahhh/Choo_ , and _Partners/In Crime_ onesies the most although they all had very adorable plays on the twins theme.

"Aren't these all just so cute, Bruce?" Betty gushed as she started gathering all of them up to take to the nursery.

He nodded, and smiled in the shy way they had all come to expect and love about him. He looked down at the _JEDI IN TRAINING_ onesie he held in his hands, and said, "You know, guys, you really shouldn't have."

"Why not? You're some of our best… and _closest_ friends and your little rugrats are only going to be little once," Tony countered.

"But still, guys!"

Pepper smiled at him, "Bruce, Tony is right. You're both two of our closest friends, and your beautiful babies will only be babies once. I know we overdid it just a little but as their Aunt and Uncle I think we're entitled to gushing over them a little."

"Speaking of gushing, aren't you going to open the other two boxes?" Tony added, waggling his eyebrows.

"Fatherhood really seems to agree with Bruce. I don't think I've ever seen him look so happy," Pepper mused later that night after their own kids were in bed and they were watching a rather spectacular thunderstorm unfold outside.

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen the Big Guy look this happy… or this at peace except for maybe the day he got off that plane and saw Betty standing there. And it's really good to see him find his happiness too after all this time because…"

"You care about him? Not _just_ as a best friend but like like a brother? You know it's okay to say that aloud, right?"

"Yeah, I know but that wasn't what I was going to say."

A very loud clap of thunder interrupted their conversation, and when it finally finished echoing, Pepper asked, "JARVIS, did that wake Ethan or Eva up?"

"No, Ma'am, it did not. I initiated Sir's thunderstorm protocols in Master Ethan and Miss Eva's rooms the moment the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning."

"Did they now?" Tony remarked.

Satisfied that the storm wouldn't awaken their children, Pepper snuggled back up against Tony, and asked, "Now what were you saying before that?"

Tony hesitated, the storm's interruption to what he had been saying had given him a moment to reconsider what he had been about to tell her. What he had been about to say about Bruce was very personal, and he wasn't sure it is something his friend would want repeated. But then he remembered the situation in which Bruce had made the admission, and given how public the situation had been, he decided that it would be okay to say it after all.

"Tony?" Pepper said, sitting up to look at him, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, "No, no… I was just remembering saying Bruce told me… and everyone else shortly after we all met each other for the first time. You know the whole thing with Loki?" He continued after he felt her nod, "Well there is one thing I haven't told you about our little infighting session on the helicarrier… it was something that Bruce said that got to me more than I've ever wanted anyone, him included, to know."

"What did he say?" Pepper asked after a moment when he didn't continue.

"He said that he got to a low point… a point so low that he tried to kill himself."

Pepper sat up again, alarmed shock on her face, "What?"

"Yeah, Bruce tried to kill himself… or at least I think that was what was admitting to when he said he put a bullet in his mouth and the Other Guy spit it out. I guess when he did that when he was trying to find a _cure_ for being the Hulk and it failed."

"Oh, Tony."

"I know. When he said that, it... it got to me so much that it _scared_ me. I'd been wanting to meet him for a long time, even before that day because I had a feeling we'd get along spectacularly. I mean, relatively speaking, Bruce is one of the most brilliant minds out there, a perfect match with my own, so why wouldn't we?"

Pepper smiled to herself, thinking of a reason _why_ they might not have gotten along, and that was personalities clashing. Bruce easily could have been as cocky as he was brilliant. He could have felt threatened by Tony's own genius, and they could have clashed as badly as Tony had with Steve in the past. She was so glad that had not been the case where Bruce was concerned because it had been wonderful to see Tony gain a new, true friend during a time when he had so few upon.

"... and what do you know? I was only one thousand percent _right_ about us getting along! The more we talked the more I knew I'd been right, and then he said what he said I just..."

When she felt him shudder, she snuggled closer to him, "I can only imagine how hearing such a... an admission made you feel. I know _how_ I would have felt if I had heard him say something like that. We can only be thankful that the Hulk's will to live was far stronger than Bruce's desire to die at that moment."

"Yeah," Tony murmured, pressing a kiss on the side of her head, "Because I hate to think I might not ever have had the chance to have met Bruce." _Or be his friend._

"Yeah, me too."

Dear, _dear_ Bruce.

Yes, she was so thankful that his attempt had not been successful because she would have missed the chance to get to know the kind-hearted scientist too. Plus after getting to know Betty, she hated to think about the grief his death by his own hand would have put the other woman through.

A streak of lightning lit up the room again, and was followed by a very loud clap of thunder.

"Wow that _really_ loud!"

Tony nodded in agreement, his eyebrows shooting upwards, "Yes, it was. JARVIS, are the protocols holding-"

"Daddy?"

"Well that answers _that_ question," he muttered before getting up, "What'sa matter, Princess? Did the loud thunder wake you up?"

The little girl nodded as she was picked up, "It scared me, Daddy! It was weally loud I taught someting sploded!"

Watching them interact, Pepper murmured, "Is Ethan still asleep, JARVIS?"

"No, Ma'am. Master Ethan is currently huddling underneath his comforter."

" _Ex_ ploded, princess. Exploded."

"Exploded," Eva repeated the word slowly.

"That's right, sweetpea. Exploded."

"JARVIS, how much longer is the storm going to go on?"

"It is my estimation the storm will intermittently continue for the next ninety minutes."

"Tony?"

"Yes, honey?"

"JARVIS said the storm is going to continue on and off for the next ninety minutes, so I was thinking maybe the kids would like to come sleep in our room."

"Kids?"

"Yes, Ethan is awake too."

"Hmm, Ethan too?"

Pepper nodded.

"Okay then, I guess I need to make some adjustments to the Light N Sound Show protocols for future storms. In the meantime, if they want to come to our room to sleep, that's fine with me. Why don't you two ladies go get settled into bed while I go get the E-man, and invite him to our slumber party?"

"Sounds good. Come on, sweetheart. Let's go get all comfy in bed."

* * *

 **August 2024**

It was shortly after lunch, Rhodey returned to his desk with the intention of knocking down a few of the reporters stacked there. But things didn't quite go as planned because the second he opened up one of the folders, he felt his phone vibrate with an incoming text.

Since it was the phone that only a small select group of people had (his family in other words), he knew he should at least see who the message was from. He pulled it out of his pocket just as the phone vibrated again.

[Hey, Platypus? You busy?]] - _Received 12:55pm_

[[I'm going to be taking a little day trip and I think you should come with.]] _Received 12:56pm_

Smiling, Rhodey hit the dial button and didn't give his friend a chance to send another text.

The phone only rang once, and Tony answered, "So should I take this call as a yes?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"Where this little day trip is to?"

"Did I mention it's a surprise?"

"Then I'm going to have to say no, Tones."

"Aww, really?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Looking at his desk, and replied, "Because I'm running your old company for a board and shareholders that no longer includes you or Pepper in their number?"

"Awww, Platypus! You're killing it here!"

"Sorry but seriously I can't just go off right now unless it's something worth taking the time for. Maybe if you told me where you're going and what we'll be doing there..."

"Blue Bell."

"Come again?"

"I said _Blue Bell_ , as in PA or Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philly, otherwise known as-"

"I know what it's otherwise known as!" Rhodey interrupted, rolling his eyes, "I'm from there, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

When Tony didn't continue beyond the confirmation, he asked, "So _why_ are you going to my hometown?"

"To find out you'll have to come with."

"Tony-"

"I'm serious, buddy. You'll have to come with me if you want to know."

"What's there?"

"Something I can't tell you."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, because it's a _surprise_."

"And you're not going to tell me are you?"

"No."

"Or give me any clues?"

"Nope."

Releasing a slow sigh, Rhodey shook his head, "I really shouldn't but when are you going on your little day trip?"

"Tomorrow."

"Of course you are," Rhodey said, shaking his head as he went through his schedule mentally, "Wait, tomorrow's good for me because-"

"You have a meeting free day."

"Tony, did you hack my schedule again?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that no one says _hack_ anymore?"

He heard his friend eye roll, and rolled his own eye, "Don't change the subject!"

"Also it's **not** hacking when the computers in your office are still connected to JARVIS. And _who_ cares how I know? I just do. So tomorrow's a go?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's a go... assuming Moni doesn't need me for anything."

"She won't."

"You don't know... wait, did you already talk to my wife about this?"

"Uh huh."

"Tony, I swear sometimes..."

"Oh you know you love me."

"I do not. You're annoying!"

"But that's why you love me."

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes again, Rhodey told him, "Okay if I am going with you to tomorrow on this little day trip of yours, I need to get some actual work done, so I'm gonna hang up now." He hit the end button on the phone before Tony could respond. Putting his phone down, he settled into doing a little so he could go with his friend tomorrow without feeling guilty about it.

"Tony, I really need to get something done," he muttered when his phone vibrated a few seconds later.

[[Check with J for tomorrow's deets.]] - **Received 1:01pm**

The next morning after a short flight to Philadelphia International Airport, Rhodey found himself seated beside his best friend, in an actual rental car, driving towards a destination he wasn't sure of. However with the absence of Happy or another member of the billionaire's security team, and given how he knew how a lot people felt about Tony these days, his curiosity was half turned on at best. Tony's cryptic, _"You'll see!"_ when he had asked where they were going hadn't helped to settle down the knot in his stomach either.

" _So you already know about Tony's little plans for tomorrow?" Rhodey asked, almost the second he walked in the door at home the previous evening. But it was only just almost since he kissed his wife before he began interrogating her._

" _Hello to you too, honey," Monica replied in an amused tone before turning around to head back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be in fifteen minutes, Cole, so please clear the table."_

" _Yes, ma'am," The teenaged boy said with a nod, and then started picking up his schoolwork. "Do you want me to set the table too?"_

" _I'll do that, Colton. You can go on to your room until dinner if you want."_

" _Thanks, ~~Dadu~~ Baba."_

 _Nodding, Rhodey turned back to his wife, "Moni, what_ **exactly** _did Tony say when he called?"_

"' _Hey, can your husband come out and play hooky with me tomorrow?'"_

" _That's it?"_

 _She shrugged, "That's it."_

" _He didn't give you_ **any** _details at all?"_

" _No, he didn't."_

" _And you said yes?"_

 _Monica put down the spoon in her hand, and turned to look at him, "Of course I said yes, James. I mean you're grown and don't need my permission to take a day to go off with your best friend."_

Their conversation had ended with him asking her if Tony had given her any indication what his plans were and of course Monica had had to tell him no. Now here he was fifteen hours later with Tony, and he still didn't have any ideas what the other man was up to.

After they had been driving for a little while, familiar streets along with other familiar sights started to greet Rhodey's vision, and finally when they turned down a certain street he couldn't keep quiet any longer, "Tony, are you taking me to what _used_ to be my parents' house?"

But his friend didn't respond, or acknowledge the question until he had parked the car in the driveway. It was only then that Tony turned to _his_ best friend, and answered, "You're right. This _used_ to be your parents' house, just like now it's _used_ to be the house of Mr. Milton E. Roach and Mrs. Angela S. Messerly Roach."

"Used to be? What do you mean it, _used_ to be the house of the Roaches?" Rhodey asked, looking at the outside of the house he had grown up in.

"What I mean, platypus, is that the Roaches no longer own this house."

He'd been about to ask Tony who does own it now, but then a thought passed through his head, and Rhodey turned back to him, "Please tell me that you're not the one who owns the house now?!"

"Okay, I don't."

"Good because I-"

"I don't because _you_ do."

"What? What did you say?"

"I said, I don't own it because actually _you_ do. Well that's not entirely accurate because it's also your sisters' house too. Or rather will be after the three of you sign some legal paperwork at the lawyer's office."

"It's what?"

Tony gave his friend a look of concern, then asked, "Are you okay, platypus? Because you're not usually this _slow_ on the intake. I mean you're…"

"Why?"

The quiet, single word question silenced the rambling billionaire better than a blaring air raid siren, and he in turn gave his best friend a dumbfounded one word response, "What?"

"I said _why_?"

"Why what?"

Rhodey rolled his eyes at that, "Now who's being a little slow on the intake, Tony?" He continued smirking for a few more seconds, but then all mirth vanished from his face, and he asked, "Seriously, Tony, _why_... Why did you buy my… parents' old house?"

"So I could give it to you? You know since the authorities kinda frown on you kicking people out of their own house."

"I'm being serious here."

"So am I."

"Tony."

Tony swallowed, nodded, and became as serious as his friend, "Because the house you and your sisters got to grow up in a home instead of just a house, and it was _wrong_ that it got sold to someone who wasn't any of the three of you. Why is that anyway? Why _did_ your mom decide to sell it without telling any of you that's what she was going to do?"

With a shrug he answered, "I don't know. Embarrassment… or pride… or maybe both. Mom got into financial trouble, and I don't know maybe she was too embarrassed to say anything to the three of us until it was too late and the sale was practically completed."

There was also the possibility that Mary Rhodes hadn't wanted Tony to get involved, and that's why she didn't say anything to her son since her son's rich, best friend's involvement really would have made her even _more_ embarrassed. Tony would have done something too, in an instant, if he knew she had needed the help and not just for Rhodey's sake. He would have done it for Mary because she had always been nothing but kind to him since the moment he had met her, especially after…

"So why now?"

Although the words didn't sink in, Rhodey's question snapped Tony out of his thoughts, "What?"

"I asked why now? Why buy back my parents' house _now_? I mean I hadn't thought about it in years. I doubt Tanesha or Alyssa have either… or at least I doubt Tanesha has."

"Call it a wedding present."

"Tony, I've been married to Monica for over two years now."

"Okay, call it _late_ wedding present."

"I think the month long honeymoon in Greece was your and Pepper's wedding present."

"Yes that was our wedding gift to you both but the honeymoon was also our way of saying we were sorry dropping the company ball on you right when we did."

"Well, the Greece honeymoon still counted and was the _best_ wedding gift we could have been given." It had been the honeymoon of their dreams, and the time he'd spent with his wife in Greece was something he'd never forget for as long as he lived.

"It didn't really count."

"Yes, it did."

"No, it didn't."

"Yes, it did."

"No, didn't."

"Yes, it did."

"Okay, fine, it counted, and this," Tony gestured at the house, "was because I thought I, oh don't know, I want to do something _nice_ for my best friend! There! Happy?"

"Totally ecstatic. Seriously why didn't you just say that when I asked you before?"

"Because it borders on the touchy feely stuff that's more in Pepper's territory than it is mine."

Knowing his friend would appreciate it more if he didn't pursue it, Rhodey opened the car door, and said before getting out, "So do you have the key?"

 **FIN**


End file.
